§1226.2. Designation of a caregiver

            A.(1) A hospital shall provide each patient or, if applicable, the patient's legal guardian with at least one opportunity to designate a caregiver following the patient's inpatient admission into a hospital and prior to the patient's discharge.

            (2) In the event that the patient is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated upon his entry into a hospital, the hospital shall provide such patient or his legal guardian with an opportunity to designate a caregiver following the patient's recovery of his consciousness or capacity.

            (3) In the event that the patient or the patient's legal guardian designates an individual as a caregiver, the hospital shall record the patient's designation of caregiver and the name, telephone number, and address of the patient's designated caregiver in the patient's medical record.

            (4) In the event the original designated caregiver becomes unavailable, unwilling, or unable to care for the patient prior to discharge, a patient may elect to change his designated caregiver, and the hospital shall record this change in the patient's medical record.

            B. The hospital shall be deemed to have complied in full with the provisions of this Part in the event that the patient or, if applicable, the legal guardian of the patient declines to designate a caregiver under this Part.

            C. A designation of a caregiver by a patient or a patient's legal guardian under this Part does not obligate any individual to perform any aftercare tasks for any patient.

            D. This Section shall not be construed to require a patient or a patient's legal guardian to designate any individual as a caregiver.

            Acts 2016, No. 351, §1.