Ahead of the Curve: Emerging Trends and Practices in Family Caregiver Support
 

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Caregiver programs and supports are located in every state in the nation. Some of these programs and supportive services have been in existence for decades, but most are relatively new or are newly expanded, thanks in part to federal funding from the National Family Caregiver Support Program, enacted in 2000.

This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, authored by FCA's Lynn Friss Feinberg, Kari Wolkwitz and Cara Goldstein, highlights three "cutting edge" trends in supporting family caregivers:

  • Assessment of caregivers' own needs in order to tailor care plans and support services to meet those needs    
  • Consumer direction in family caregiver support services which can be particularly effective in addressing the needs of families in rural areas where fewer formal services may be available
  • Collaborations on caregiving between the aging network and health care providers in which family caregivers may be identified in primary care physician offices, rather than waiting for care to seek help or continue to provide care alone, thereby making it possible to reach caregivers before they experience any adverse effects

This paper provides policymakers, program administrators, and advocates with an overview of these emerging trends; describes state approaches and developing practices; and identifies key factors fundamental to successful adoption of these strategies.

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Caregiving Fact: If your loved one has dementia and suffers sleep disturbances or night-time agitation, try soothing music or a massage to induce relaxation. If agitation increases after nightfall, keep the house well lighted and close curtains to shut out darkness. See FCA's Fact Sheet, Caregiver's Guide to Understanding Dementia Behavior, for more tips on caring for a loved one with dementia.
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    Selected Caregiver Assessment Measures: A Resource Inventory for Practitioners (2012)
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    National Consensus Report on Caregiver Assessment: Volume II, Voices and Views from the Field (2006)
    State of the States in Family Caregiver Support: A 50-State Study
    Survey of Californians About In-Home Care Services (March 2003)
    Family Caregiver Support: Policies, Perceptions and Practices in 10 States Since Passage of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (November 2002)
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    Parkinson's Disease Caregiving: A Descriptive Report (2002)
    Who Will Provide Care? Emerging Issues for State Policymakers (2001)
    Making Hard Choices: Respecting Both Voices (May 2000)
    Family Caregivers: Partners in Long Term Care (2000)
    Survey of 15 States' Caregiver Support Programs: Final Report (October 1999)
    Report on Family Caregiver Support in California's Publicly Funded Programs (April 1999)
    Options for Supporting Informal and Family Caregiving: A Policy Paper (August 1997)
    Family Caregivers and Consumer Choice: Options for In-Home Respite Care (December 1996)
    A Study of Pre- and Post-Placement Family Caregiving for Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (August 1995)
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