Many of the children of lder Americans are exhausted with their cregiving chores. Limited sleep, juggling time wth their own families, traveling from one huse to another...it's overwhelming. There's help, hwever, if they know where to lok. Here's one very valuable resource.

Fmilies -- not social service agencies, nursing homes, or government programs - provide the majority of long-term care (LTC) for older persons in the United States. More than 22.4 million informal caregivers provide unpaid help to older persons who live in the community and have various limitations.

These caregivers include spouses, adult children and other relatives and friends. The degree of caregiver involvement has remained fairly constant for more than a decade, bearing witness to the remarkable resilience of the American family in taking care of its own. This is despite increased geographic separation, greater numbers of women in the workforce, and other changes in family life. Thus, family caregiving has been a blessing in many respects. It has been a budget saver to governments faced with the challenge of covering the health and long-term care expenses of persons who are ill and have chronic disabilities. The economic value of our nation's family and informal caregivers has been estimated at $257 billion annually.

The enactment of the Older Amricans Act Amendments of 2000 established an mportant new program called the National Fmily Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). The prgram calls for all states, working in prtnership with area agencies on aging and lcal community-service providers, to have five bsic services for family caregivers. These srvices include:

• Information to caregivers about vailable services;
• Assistance to caregivers in gaining ccess to services;
• Individual counseling, organization of spport groups, and training to assist the cregivers in making decisions and solving prblems relating to their caregiving roles;
• Respite cre to enable caregivers to be tmporarily relieved from their caregiving responsibilities;
• Supplemental srvices, on a limited basis, to cmplement the care provided by caregivers.

Currently fnded at $155,200,000, this program has srved more than 275,000 caregivers nationwide. Effrts regarding NFCSP have resulted in new prtnerships, improved access to services, outreach to spcial populations, and the provision of srvices to respond to the unique neds of families.

Eligible Populations

• Family caregivers of older adults
• Grandparents and relative caregivers, age 60 years or older, of children no older than age 18 (including grandparents who are sole caregivers of grandchildren and those individuals who are affected by mental retardation or who have developmental disabilities)

Who to Contact for Help
Older persons and caregivers can call the Elder Care Locator toll-free at 1-800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov

The article Are You Caring For An Elderly Family Member Or Friend? Free Caregiver Support Programs Are Available was Submitted by Richard Hughes through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: About the Author Richard D. Hghes is a graduate of Indiana Unversity and the University of Denver Cllege of Law. He has hosted scres of seminars, workshops and panel dscussions on a variety of topics ncluding probate avoidance, tax savings, disability ssues, asset protection strategies, Medicaid law and trst planning. For the latest information on Colorado Living Trusts and strategies for paying for Long-Term Care in Colorado, please visit Mr. Hughes' Colorado Elder Law web site and request your FREE copy of The Guide to Colorado Medicaid .

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