Family caregivers are the nation's invisible health care system.
But the entire system is a house of cards. If the caregivers go, the system will collapse, taking Medicare and Medicaid down with it. Under the family caregiver initiative, grants would be provided to state and area agencies on aging to expand supportive services, particularly respite care and adult day care, for caregivers of the frail elderly. Although many states have programs to provide supportive services to caregivers, limited funding and long waiting lists allow them to serve only a fraction of those in need. The family caregiver support initiative was designed to fill-in gaps in existing state and community based programs.