Caregiver Support
Who is a Caregiver?
An estimated 53 million+ Americans provide care for an older adult, or someone living with illness or disability. A large percentage of these are caregivers to our Nation's Veterans. Family caregivers provide a wide range of services, such as transportation, food preparation, housekeeping and personal care enabling care recipients to live at home or in the setting of their choice with dignity and independence. Additionally, there are at least 2.4 million children being raised by grandparents or other relative caregivers, serving as a safety net and providing care when children’s parents are unable.
Serving as a caregiver of an older adult, person with a disability or a relative child can exact a heavy toll—emotionally, physically and financially—for the person assuming this role. The average age of a caregiver for an older adult or person with a disability is 49, a time in many people’s lives when they are still raising a family and actively employed. Almost half of grandparents raising grandchildren are age 60 and older.
America’s Military and Veteran Caregivers: Hidden Heroes Emerging from the Shadows provides updated estimates of the number of adults caregiving in the United States today; investigates how those caring for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans compare with those caring for civilians and with non-caregivers; and provides insights on the potential consequences of caregiving on caregivers’ health, their economic security, and their families’ well-being. Click here for a link to their lengthy report and recommendations.
The Veterans Administration has an excellent Caregiver Support Program for caregivers of Veterans. However, they have no such program for Veterans who are caregivers. Bloomingdale VFW Post 7539 is working with the area Vet Centers to develop a program for those Veterans. Please subscribe to our Newsletter to keep up to date on our progress.
Resources for Caregivers
The links provided will help you in learning more about being a caregiver as well as the organizations and programs available to help in your journey as a caregiver.
The CRD is designed to help empower military caregivers with information about national and local resources and programs specifically for them. Topics include: helplines, advocacy and benefit information, career transitions and employment, military caregiver support, children’s needs, education and training, financial support, rest and relaxation, and others
This guide was developed in 2010 for caregivers of service members and veterans with moderate, severe, or penetrating traumatic brain injury. This revision includes the addition of content relevant to caregivers of those who sustained mild TBIs.
Caregiver Stress and Burnout
These links are to nationally recognized organizations that provide invaluable information to your the caregiver: