Resources and support for caregivers. Based on meeting eligibility requirements, family caregivers in the San Francisco Bay Area may be provided with short-term respite and counseling, legal consultation with a qualified elder law attorney as well as high quality education programs that build direct care skills, teach stress-reduction and wellness techniques and provide wide range of up to date topics needed by caregivers.

The California Department of Aging, with funding from the U.S. Administration on Aging, contracts with 33 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to coordinate local community-service systems for assisting caregivers of seniors. Services are available to family and other unpaid caregivers supporting older individuals, as well as grandparents and older relatives caring for children. Each AAA is responsible for determining the array of services, including caregiver information, assistance in gaining access to services, counseling and training support, temporary respite, and limited supplemental services to complement the care provided by caregivers. Services are provided directly by AAA staff, or through partnerships with other public or private agencies.