The National Aging Network

Under the authority of the Older Americans Act, the Administration on Aging works closely with the national network of aging organizations to plan, coordinate, and provide home and community-based services to meet the unique needs of older persons and their caregivers. AoA’s aging network includes 56 State Units on Aging, 655 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), 225 Tribal and native organizations representing 300 American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal organizations and 2 organizations serving Native Hawaiians, plus thousands of service providers, adult care centers, caregivers, and volunteers.

The Family Caregiver Support Program

The enactment of the Amendments of 2000 (Public Law 106-501) established an important new program, the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). The program was developed by the Administration on Aging (AoA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It was modeled in large part after successful LTC programs in States such as California, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and after listening to the needs expressed by hundreds of family caregivers in discussions held across the country.

Funded at $125 million in fiscal year 2001, approximately $113 million has been allocated to states through a congressionally mandated formula that is based on a proportionate share of the 70+ population. The program calls for all states, working in partnership with area agencies on aging and local community-service providers to have five basic services for family caregivers, including:

Information to caregivers about available services;
Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to supportive services;
Individual counseling, organization of support groups, and caregiver training to caregivers to assist the caregivers in making decisions and solving problems relating to their caregiving roles;
Respite care to enable caregivers to be temporarily relieved from their caregiving responsibilities; and
Supplemental services, on a limited basis, to complement the care provided by caregivers.

Eligible Populations for services funded by the Family Caregiver Support Program include Family caregivers of older adults; and grandparents and relative caregivers of children not more than 18 years of age (including grandparents who are sole caregivers of grandchildren and those individuals who are affected by mental retardation or who have developmental disabilities). The statute requires states to give priority consideration to persons in greatest social and economic need (with particular attention to low-income, minority individuals) and to older individuals providing care and support to persons with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities.

THE WESTERN RESERVE AREA AGENCY ON AGING

The Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging serves consumers in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. The plan for the local implementation of the Family Caregiver Support Program was developed under the direction of the WRAAA Board of Trustees and County Advisory Councils

The approved plan includes providing information and referral through toll free telephone and internet, care coordination, care planning, consumer reimbursement for services, contracts with service providers for support and educational programs, and coordination with existing programs serving family caregivers