Source: The National Academy for State Health Policy
The Family Caregiving Advisory Council
The impact of the nation’s aging population on state budgets and policies cannot be addressed without understanding the needs of family caregivers. Under the RAISE Act, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services must develop a national Family Caregiving Strategy that recommends actions that different stakeholders can take to support family caregivers and meets their diverse needs. The RAISE Act also requires the secretary to convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to help inform and shape the strategy by providing recommendations to the secretary.
The council is charged with preparing a report for the secretary that includes effective models of family caregiving and support to family caregivers, as well as opportunities to improve coordination across federal government programs. The secretary will incorporate the council’s report in the strategy, in addition to identifying best practices and other information to support family caregivers. The RAISE Act requires the council to be made up of to 15 voting members who reflect the diversity of family caregivers and care recipients, as well as non-voting representatives from federal departments and agencies who play a role in this issue.