Family Caregiver Support Program

Enactment of the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 established an important new program - The National Family Caregiver Support Program. The program was developed by the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The program called for all states, working in partnership with Area Agencies on Aging and local community service providers, to have five basic services for family caregivers.

1. Information about resources that will help family caregivers.

2. Assistance to families in locating services from private and voluntary agencies

3. Caregiver training, peer support, and counseling to help families cope with the emotional and physical stress of dealing with a family member's chronic condition.

4. Respite care provided in a home, an adult day-care center, or over a weekend in a nursing home or an assisted living facility.

5. Supplemental services, on a limited basis, to complement the care provided by caregivers.