The financial impact of caregiving takes a particular toll on family members when it affects their ability to work. Research has shown that some caregivers must quit their jobs to give care, while others experience increased absenteeism, lower productivity at work, lost career opportunities, and loss of future earnings. Middle-class families are hit the hardest. Research has shown that most caregivers prefer services to dollars. No comprehensive list of state-funded caregiver programs exists because of the fragmentation of services and variations in eligibility, mode of delivery, and scope of services.
Respite care is the service most typically funded by state governments.
In the near future, the demands placed on family and other informal caregivers are likely to escalate, affecting nearly every American family. This paper shows that caregiving is not just an aging issue, it is a family issue and a policy issue. It is vitally important for consumer advocates to seize the policy agenda and urge states to develop family caregiver support policies to protect families from the financial and emotional bankruptcy that often is the cost of long-term care. Finally, advocates should arm themselves with the facts. The need to recognize and strengthen the central role of families in the provision of long-term care.