| Many of the children of older Americans are | | | | billion annually. |
| exhausted with their caregiving chores. Limited | | | | The enactment of the Older Americans Act |
| sleep, juggling time with their own families, | | | | Amendments of 2000 established an important |
| traveling from one house to another...it's | | | | new program called the National Family Caregiver |
| overwhelming. There's help, however, if they | | | | Support Program (NFCSP). The program calls for |
| know where to look. Here's one very valuable | | | | all states, working in partnership with area |
| resource. | | | | agencies on aging and local community-service |
| Families -- not social service agencies, nursing | | | | providers, to have five basic services for family |
| homes, or government programs - provide the | | | | caregivers. These services include: |
| majority of long-term care (LTC) for older | | | | - Information to caregivers about available |
| persons in the United States. More than 22.4 | | | | services; |
| million informal caregivers provide unpaid help to | | | | - Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to |
| older persons who live in the community and have | | | | services; |
| various limitations. | | | | - Individual counseling, organization of support |
| These caregivers include spouses, adult children | | | | groups, and training to assist the caregivers in |
| and other relatives and friends. The degree of | | | | making decisions and solving problems relating to |
| caregiver involvement has remained fairly | | | | their caregiving roles; |
| constant for more than a decade, bearing witness | | | | - Respite care to enable caregivers to be |
| to the remarkable resilience of the American | | | | temporarily relieved from their caregiving |
| family in taking care of its own. This is despite | | | | responsibilities; |
| increased geographic separation, greater numbers | | | | - Supplemental services, on a limited basis, to |
| of women in the workforce, and other changes in | | | | complement the care provided by caregivers. |
| family life. Thus, family caregiving has been a | | | | Currently funded at $155,200,000, this program |
| blessing in many respects. It has been a budget | | | | has served more than 275,000 caregivers |
| saver to governments faced with the challenge of | | | | nationwide. Efforts regarding NFCSP have resulted |
| covering the health and long-term care expenses | | | | in new partnerships, improved access to services, |
| of persons who are ill and have chronic disabilities. | | | | outreach to special populations, and the provision |
| The economic value of our nation's family and | | | | of services to respond to the unique needs of |
| informal caregivers has been estimated at $257 | | | | families. |