Family Caregiving as a Service Niche for Agencies: Findings from a Study of Philanthropic Trends

Abstract

Family elder caregiving is a relatively unsaturated and expanding service niche. The article reports on a national study of family elder caregiving initiatives that were funded by foundations between 1994 and 1999, and presents a sample of the diverse and innovative ways in which agencies have responded to the need of family members caring for older adult relatives. The authors suggest that there are many opportunities for family service agencies that wish to support family caregivers particularly since caregiving demands on families will continue to grow given our nation's burgeoning older population and funding appears encouraging now that caregiving is on the national agenda.

Caregiving Systems at the End of Life: How Informal Caregivers and Formal Providers Collaborate

“…Influenced by the unique needs, abilities, and concerns of those in the immediate social network as well as by interactions with providers, caregiving experiences at the end of life produce memories that influence caregiver health and well-being long after the death. Now on the national agenda, the burgeoning number of family caregivers presents important opportunities for both intervention research and innovative human service programming (Chernesky & Gutheil, 2002). Each family caregiving system has unique needs for information and education as well as "teachable moments" when their needs are greatest (Thielmann, 2000).…”