Policy and advocacy for informal caregivers: How state policy influenced a community initiative.

With a growing proportion of elderly in the global population, the role of 'informal caregivers' gains importance. Informal caregivers are unpaid family members or friends who provide assistance to home-dwelling adults with health-related needs or limitations. Internationally, informal caregivers provide important medical support to those with a variety of diseases. While informal caregivers will remain vital to the growing aging population's pursuit of healthy aging, they often suffer from 'caregiver burnout,' a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by their caregiving work. Policy and legislation are needed to diminish the burden on caregivers and to help assure that resources are allocated for these caregivers. We describe an initiative aimed at providing appropriate social support for caregivers by partnering among local organizations, hospitals, and health authorities.