District of Columbia Code Division III. Decedents' Estates and Fiduciary Relations. § 21-2231.02. Lay caregiver designation.

(A) Provide notice to the lay caregiver as soon as practicable following the designation and before the patient's discharge;

(B) Promptly request the written consent of the patient or authorized representative to release medical information to the patient's lay caregiver in accordance with the hospital's procedures for releasing personal health information and in compliance with all federal and District laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, approved August 21, 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191; 110 Stat. 1936);

(C) Record the patient's or authorized representative's designation of the lay caregiver, the relationship of the lay caregiver to the patient, and the name, telephone number, and address of the lay caregiver in the patient's medical record; and

(D) Notify the lay caregiver of the patient's discharge to the patient's residence as soon as practicable; provided, that if the hospital is unable to contact the lay caregiver, the hospital shall document that in the patient's medical record as soon as practicable.