Families Caring for an Aging America

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population.Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Older Adults Who Need Caregiving and the Family Caregivers Who Help Them3 Family Caregiving Roles and Impacts4 Economic Impact of Family Caregiving5 Programs and Supports for Family Caregivers of Older Adults6 Family Caregivers' Interactions with Health Care and Long-Term Services and Supports7 Recommendations to Support Family Caregivers of Older AdultsAppendix A: Acronyms and GlossaryAppendix B: Committee and Staff BiographiesAppendix C: Public Workshop AgendasAppendix D: Number of Years and Percentage of Adult Life Spent Caring for an Older AdultAppendix E: Methodology: NHATS and NSOC SurveysAppendix F: Caregiving: The Odyssey of Becoming More HumanAppendix G: Caregiving StoriesAppendix H: HIPAA and Caregivers' Access to Information