Noteboom The Law Firm

Caregivers For Veterans With TBIs Included In Aid

March 17, 2011 - Veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) tend to put unique demands on their caregivers, even if they are family members. The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) new set of proposed regulations will provide for more support for these caregivers.

If the program successfully implements the new caregiver provisions, offered support for caregivers will be significantly enhanced. Caregivers' new benefits will include both living stipends and health care benefits. It was originally believed, however, caregivers helping veterans with TBIs would not be covered. Testimony given in front of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee's health panel however, dispelled that belief and ensured TBI would indeed be covered.

Some believe the VA's methods of putting the new law into practice will limit the amount of caregivers who will be eligible to receive the new aid is too few; 850 as opposed to the originally envisioned 3,500. Only those veterans requiring institutionalized care will be eligible for coverage, which will eliminate many veterans with TBI or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Establishing institutionalization as a threshold does not follow the intent of this legislation.

Approximately 750 - 1,000 caregivers qualify for application as the rules stand. The VA has already been given a lawful date by which they were to implement their plan and they failed to meet it. Right now, hundreds of families are desperately in need of that help and many caregivers have become overwhelmed with their duties. Early summer is the new "guaranteed" date for caregivers to be paid.

The overall success of the program will depend on many different aspects working together as one unit. Clear standards must be established and consistently applied and remaining bugs must be ironed out. Hopefully this will all happen before the summer deadline and caregivers will no longer have to wait for the aid they need.