What response can I expect from state and federal programs that assist caregivers?
There are various state and federal programs designed to support caregivers, and they differ in their approach to issues related to sexual orientation. As part of the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, the federal government created the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). This program distributes money to states, which in turn fund local Area Agencies on Aging to either provide services themselves or contract with community agencies to provide caregiver support. The legislative language authorizing the program is broad and inclusive, defining a family caregiver as “an adult family member, or another individual, who is an informal provider of in-home and community care to an older individual.” The types of services which are funded in your area by the NFCSP may include information, education, counseling, legal advice and access to a respite or break from caregiving. The LGBT sensitivity of the agencies that provide these caregiver programs may vary from county to
