Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Caregiver Support Program Debuts New Help Line

February 16, 2011 - Late last year legislation was passed providing help for those caregivers of veterans in need of assistance The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is now offering even more support with a new National Caregiver Support Line, which launched February 1, 2011. Now those providing care for veterans, no matter what the specific conditions are, can call this line when they find themselves in need of support.

The VA Caregiver Support Program is sponsoring this new help line. Caregivers need not live full-time with the veterans they are providing care for, and can be spouses, family members, or even friends. Essentially as long as they are providing care they can call the line for help.

Many do not realize how stressful assuming a caretaker role can become. Many caretakers find themselves overrun with emotions of feeling burned out and depressed. Many caretakers also find themselves with financial problems, and many spend so much time and attention caring for the veteran, they end up sick themselves. In the end, a sick caretaker is of no help to the veteran or themselves. This is the reason the VA's Caregiver Support Program exists: to help those who help others.

The VA Caregiver Support program provides two critical services for caregivers. Caregivers can take their veterans to Adult Day Care Centers, which are supervised centers where they interact with other veterans while the caregiver is given time to rest. The program also provides Home Hospice Care, whose services extend not only to those veterans needing end-of-life care but to the caregiver.

Just as we tell veterans they must ask for help when necessary, so too should their caregivers. These programs exist because of the difficulty in caring for people in need, and their services should be used as often as necessary.