The enactment of the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 (Public Law 106-501) established an important new program, the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). The program was developed by the Administration on Aging (AoA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It calls for all states, working in partnership with area agencies on aging and local community-service providers to have five basic services for family caregivers, including:

1. Information to caregivers about available services;

2. Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to services;

3. Individual counseling, organization of support groups, and caregiver training to caregivers to assist the caregivers in making decisions and solving problems relating to their caregiving roles;

4. Respite care to enable caregivers to be temporarily relieved from their caregiving responsibilities; and

5. Supplemental services, on a limited basis, to complement the care provided by caregivers.