Bridging the Family Care Gap explores expected future shortages of family caregivers of older persons and identifies potential solutions. The book examines the sustainability and availability of care management models and whether they can be effectively scaled up to meet community needs. It identifies newly emerging policy initiatives at local, state, and federal levels. The book addresses the state of family caregiving science, dissemination and implementation of promising programs and supports, technological innovations, and other strategies to offset the family care gap. This edited volume also explores lay healthcare workers as guides, interpreters, and advocates in healthcare systems that provide continuity of contact for family caregivers.

Family Caregiving in the New Normal discusses how the drastic economic changes that have occurred over the past few years have precipitated a new conversation on how family care for older adults will evolve in the future. This text summarizes the challenges and potential solutions scientists, policy makers, and clinical providers must address as they grapple with these changes, with a primary focus given to the elements that may impact how family caregiving is organized and addressed in subsequent decades, including sociodemographic trends like divorce, increased participation of women in the workforce, geographic mobility, fewer children in post-baby boom families, chronic illness trends, economic stressors, and the current policy environment. A section on the support of caregivers includes technology-based solutions that examine existing models, personal health records, and mobile applications, big data issues, decision-making support, person-centered approaches, crowd-sourced caregiving such as blogs and personal websites that have galvanized caregivers, and new methods to combine paid and unpaid forms of care.

This innovative book shows administrators and directors how to develop programs that help families adapt to the experience of having an older family member living in a long-term institutional care setting. It recognizes that families continue to be involved in various ways in the lives of relatives who no longer live at home. This involvement ranges from visiting to providing hands-on care. The book also recognizes that care facilities need to be more active in supporting families' efforts. It therefore features seven model programs that have been successfully implemented in care facilities to enhance family involvement with residents and staff and promote resident quality of life. Uniquely, this book includes training manuals from each of the featured programs. These materials provide valuable guidance to practitioners who wish to implement any of the programs in their own care settings. Widely recognized and acclaimed gerontology professionals contribute to the book. 2006 National Mature Media Award (Merit Award Winner)