Systemic Development of the National Family Caregiver Support Program
Project Overview
Caregiving is an integral part of the American experience. During the past decade, our nation has witnessed a dramatic increase in the demand for supports to help caregivers. As our aging population continues to grow, older adults are choosing to remain in their homes and communities rather than reside in nursing homes and residential care facilities. The number of grandparents raising grandchildren is also on the rise, and the latest census report shows that the aging baby boomer generation is more diverse than ever. Our understanding of how race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors play a part in the way caregiving is valued and carried out in our communities across the country, coupled with what we know about the diversity of caregiving situations and caregivers' changing needs for support over time make caregiving one of the most critical public policy challenges of our time. Researchers, policy makers, aging advocates and aging program administrators are working to understand the challenges and develop effective and appropriate interventions to support family caregiving.
The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) received funding fro the Administration on Aging to specifically address the systemic development of the NFCSP and support state and local caregiver program development. It assists state units on aging in their leadership role of developing statewide caregiver programs; supports area agencies on aging and local providers in their community focused caregiver program development role; and ultimately helps family caregivers experience a seamless process for getting connected with information and services.
NASUA's work is helping to foster the systemic development of the NFCSP as a part of the broader long term care infrastructure. A systemic approach to program development is an intentional step-by-step method designed to bring together key components of the family caregiver support program -- the service package, coordination, continuity, quality and effectiveness -- into a coherent whole. A systemic approach will result in FCSPs that are accessible, flexible, consumer(caregiver)-directed, culturally-competent and integrated within the HCBS system.
