Middle-class families are hit the hardest. An institutional bias still drives long-term care spending. Policymakers Are Beginning to Recognize the Critical Role of Families in the Provision of Long-Term Care as a Way to Help Control Rising Costs of Care. State-Funded Caregiver Support Programs Are Diverse and Dependent Upon Individual State Priorities and Resources. No comprehensive list of state-funded caregiver programs exists due to 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.
California's Caregiver Resource Centers and Pennsylvania's Family Caregiver Support Program. In the near future, the demands placed on family and other informal caregivers are likely to escalate, affecting nearly every American family. This paper has shown 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 make the case to states for developing family caregiver support policies to protect families from the financial and emotional bankruptcy of long-term care. Finally, arm yourself with the facts.