Access to health care resources for family caregivers of elderly persons with dementia

Concerns about the "elder care crisis" and changes in the provision of heal th care are fostering expectations that families should be responsible for taking care of their elderly members. The assumptions that families (I) are not providing enough care, (2) know how to provide care, and (3) have acce ss to resources for the provision of care are embedded in the social expect ation of family care for elderly persons with dementia. However, research s hows that these assumptions are not based on fact.