<p>Countries around the world are grappling with the need to provide for aging populations. The elderly need not just financial security, but physical care as well. A central component of this care is the need for assistancea with day-to-day activities. While countries have taken various approaches to providing long-term care, the role of the family looms large in every nation. In this paper I document some of the differences across countries in the policies established to provide long-term care and then focus on the importance of family. I pay particular attention to the personal costs borne by caregivers in terms of their own health and labor market outcomes and conclude by offering some thoughts on what the future might hold.</p>