Wanted: Innovative Eldercare Ideas
Professor David J. Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
Families provide the lion's share, 80 percent, of all eldercare in America. What might happen if families could not, or would not, continue their commitment to caring for the nation's elderly? No one, including the federal government wants to consider such a scenario. Without the support of the American family, governmental eldercare programs would have to increase 400 percent in order to fill the eldercare void. That's why the U.S. Administration is hanging out a "Help Wanted" sign for community service agencies which can offer innovative ideas about caring for the nation's elderly. If you've got a bright idea, then maybe there's a grant opportunity waiting for you.
The Administration on Aging (AoA) of the Department of Health and Human
Services announced on June 18, 2001, the availability of approximately $6 million for
innovative programs to help families and informal caregivers of older persons
and grandparents as well as older relatives who are caregivers of children.
This national competitive program of grants and cooperative agreements will
support the multi-faceted systems of caregiver services established through
the formula grants to states released earlier this year. It is an important
part of the new National Family Caregiver Support Program of the Older
Americans Act Amendments of 2000.
These exciting new projects will develop and test unique or improved
approaches for serving caregivers and help us to evaluate the effectiveness
of state and local programs, disseminate the results and incorporate
successful approaches to the diverse and dynamic challenges of caregiving,�
said Norman L. Thompson, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Aging.
The five priority areas for competition are:
- Systems development
- Service components;
- Linkages to special populations and communities;
- Field initiated demonstrations to develop and test new approaches to
support caregivers; and
- Projects that enhance the development of caregiver programs.
The AoA plans to fund approximately 24 to 28 projects nationwide. State and
area agencies on aging, non-profit community service providers, institutions
of higher learning and national organizations with demonstrated expertise in
aging and caregiving issues may be eligible to apply for these funds. The
awards will be announced in September 2001.
The approximately $6 million announced this June 18th is part of a $125 million FY
2001 budget Congress approved for the National Family Caregiver Support
Program in December, 2000. The program's principal components include the
grants to states distributed through a congressionally mandated formula,
these new innovative competitive grants and a new Native American Caregiver
Support Program.
On February 15, 2001, $113 million was released to states to run programs that
provide support, including home and community-based services, to help
families sustain their caregiver roles.
AoA recently developed another important component of the National Family
Caregiver Support Program, the new Native American Caregiver Support Program,
in consultation with tribal organizations. Details about that new program are
being released to the 235 tribal organizations and organizations serving
Native Hawaiian elders that are eligible to apply for the program.
AoA's budget request for FY 2002 for the National Family Caregiver Support
Program is $127 million, which is $2 million above the current funding level.
Applications for the National Innovation Caregiver Programs are available on
the AoA web site at: http://www.aoa.gov/t4/fy2001, or by contacting the AoA
Office of Program Development at (202) 619-0011.
The Administration on Aging is the official Federal agency dedicated to
policy development, planning and the delivery of supportive home and
community-based services to older persons and their caregivers through the
national aging network of state and local agencies on aging, tribal
organizations, service providers and volunteers.
See related articles in AgeVenture archives.
Family Eldercare Better Than Home Alone
Family Trends Foster Eldercare Challenges
Eldercare Trend Grey, Global and Growing
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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