and Medicine Engineering National Academies of Sciences, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Health Care Services, Committee on Family Caregiving for Older Adults, Jill Eden (EDT), Richard Schulz (EDT) Families Caring for an Aging America

Annotation

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nations family caregivers provide the lions share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population.Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.