Abstract:

The rapid growth of the frail elderly, high cost of institutionalization, & scarcity of programs to assist caring families bring into question government policy. Today family & kin expend more money & energy on the care of the elderly than all combined forms of public assistance. The general public understates what families do & exaggerates what government agencies do. Many persons erroneously believe that most families abandon their disabled elderly. Beliefs need to reflect reality; federal efforts need to be altered to provide greater support, economic & otherwise, for families, which increasingly are becoming major caretakers of their elderly.