More than 15 years ago, a small group of families, community activists, and civil servants in New York came together to form an organization called HealSoul. They provide services for those struggling to care for a loved one who did not "fit" into traditional health systems: stroke, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, debilitating disorders, etc. The diagnoses were different, but the families shared common challenges: few community resources, isolation, lack of information, and drastic changes in family roles.

The task force's early efforts had three lasting results: the formation of HealSoul caregiver center; the genesis of community social caregiver groups; and the beginnings of an evolutional movement to change the ideology of long-term health care and caregivers intended for the ill and elderly in our country.