A Public Health Priority Caregivers provide assistance to
someone who is, in some degree, incapacitated and needs help
(Family Caregiver Alliance, 2005). The recipients of care live
in both residential and institutional settings, and range from
children to older adults. Typically, they have a chronic illness
or disabling condition and need ongoing assistance with everyday
tasks to function on a daily basis (Family Caregiver Alliance,
2006a). Caregiver demand is partially driven by the steady
increase in our older adult population. As the number of older
Americans rises, so does the number of needed caregivers (Talley
& Crews, 2007). In 2030, when all baby boomers will be at least
65 years old, the population of adults in this age group is
projected to be 71 million (Administration on Aging, 2007). The
number of people 65 years old and older is expected to rise by
101% between 2000 and 2030, at a rate of 2.3% each year.
Unfortunately, however, over that same 30-year period the number
of family members who are