November is a special time for the Caregiver Support Program (CSP) as we celebrate National Family Caregivers Month and honor the dedication of caregivers like you who support Veterans.
The Caregiver Support Program understands the challenges of caregiving and is here to provide resources and support. This year’s theme, “Caregiving: Refresh & Renew,” reflects our commitment to offering tools and services that help you recharge while continuing to provide the best care for your Veteran.
In fiscal year 2024, VA provided services, resources and assistance to a record 88,095 Veteran family Caregivers, representing an 18.6% increase over the previous year. VA is serving more caregivers than ever because we understand that Caregivers are the backbone of support for many Veterans, providing vital care that often goes unnoticed. We remind caregivers that they’re not alone.
How the program supports you
The Caregiver Support Program is dedicated to enrolling you in programs that meet your needs, including:
- Virtual Psychotherapy Program for Caregivers: Accessible mental health support.
- Respite Care: Giving you a break when you need it most.
- Building Better Caregivers: Workshops to enhance your caregiving skills.
- Caregivers First: Guidance and essential support for new caregivers.
How to get involved
The Caregiver Support Program teams at VA facilities nationwide are hosting events throughout November to celebrate and support caregivers.
To get involved, you can:
- Connect with your local CSP team: Use our locator tool to find your nearest caregiver support team and learn about local events.
- Attend special events: Join workshops, social gatherings and more to connect with other caregivers and VA staff.
- Engage with your community: Whether in-person or virtually, meeting other caregivers can help you feel supported.
Thank you for your dedication
We extend our deepest thanks to every caregiver who works tirelessly to provide the best care for the Veteran in their life. You’re truly appreciated.
Let this month be a reminder to take time for yourself. Refresh, renew and remember your well-being is just as important. We look forward to celebrating with you throughout National Family Caregivers Month.
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Reading some of the comments I am just appalled. I must say I became my husbands care giver due to him having cancer and the caregiver program was truly a blessing. My husband was 100% and I work for the VA. I was able to stay home and care for him until he passed. All veterans and their caregivers should be taken care of in all aspects and areas. Whether it is financially, or mental. Being a caregiver is stressful and we all need a break sometimes, but we are to afraid to leave them. I know I was that way. I encourage any caregiver to utilize every resource available to you during this time that you give you love one the care they need. Remember we have to take care of ourselves as well. I pray for the ones who had a bad experience that someone will reach out to you and make things right.
I am a veteran employee of VA Tennessee valley caring for a spouse in hospice home care and am mentally exhausted. Sick spouse since 2018.
how can i get assistance
I get counseling through the VA video app. Kristina and Lisa have done wonders for my energy , outlook, and control my feeling of being overwhelmed. I have to take my challenges one second at a time. I’m finally learning to say “no”! My Veteran husband , John and I come first!
Abandoned and alone for fifteen years seeking help to stop discrimination and meet my disabled veteran hasband’s needs. Just got him back into Togus VA after five years of unjustly being stuck at a MVH and we continues to needs help we just are not getting from anyone.
If there really is help and support to be obtainable for a paraplegic veteran and his disabled spouse, please direct me how to get it. As the wife and caregiver to the 100% service-connected veteran, I continue to struggle to be able to use the internet and cell phone as required now for everything. My husband has secondary progressive MS and we both need help we can not receive from anywhere. NOt the DAV, PAV, VSO, HAM, trauma therapist, etc. I have begged over the years for assistance and help and have failed to get what we need to be successful to keep my husband home and receive services he needs. He was neglected over two years at a MVH with stage 3-4 pressure wounds that are still not healed. He has been in and out of the hospitals septic, wounds, etc. and still he is neglected. Stonewalled at every turn no mater who I have contacted for help we are supposed to have available to us both. Sending me to the internet or to Health Affiliates Maine for case management has only added more stress and resolved nothing we need help and support with. How can this be so? A system that is killing us both. How do we get what is supposed to be help and support through the VA when nobody helps?
Carol Linneken
I am thrilled to hear the positive VA Caregiver experiences. Unfortunately I (Veteran) have not received good caregiver support for being my ex-husband’s (also a Veteran) caregiver. Sure, there are lots of classes, but the financial impact is of most concern.
I have experienced similar issues. I am a veteran (Desert Storm) who is also the primary caregiver for my disabled ex-husband who is also a Desert Storm veteran. He has MS, however because his disability is not service connected (diagnosed after the 7-year window)and/or his disability rating is below 70%, I get very little help from the VA. He has a steady income (trust fund) but I need to work full-time to cover my financial obligations. I lost my job on August 2nd due to excessive absences due to caregiving responsibilities (transportation to/from VA appointments, ETC). As this was a small company (10 employees) I was not eligible for FMLA protection. I blew through my savings (nothing left as of November 15) and am on the brink of losing our home and defaulting on debt. Someone else mentioned these “programs” for caregivers that are really nothing more than lip service. With veteran’s Day fast approaching, I have to wonder how this caregiver “support” is actually support.
The last three years has been trying but I wouldnt change them for anything. Taking care of my brother has brought our family closer together with so much Joy.
On Monday he will be going to respite care and I am feeling some type of way even though I need the time to regroup. I pray that his time away will be a pleasant experince and that he knows how much I love and care for him.
My husband is a 100% disabled veteran and I am his sole caregiver. Thank god for this program. I need more help but I’m grateful for any all assistance I receive.
Hi Laurel, I’m looking for respite care from the VA. Once a week for 4 hours. I thought it was to give me, my husband’s caregiver, a short break. I’m seeing other Vets go somewhere & that’s how the caregiver gets a break. I want someone to come to our house not put him in someplace. Can you enlighten me?
I am a Vietnam Veteran serving two tours in Vietnam …I received Meritorious Commendation Medal Award for service in combat…I have been rated with 100 per cent disability …I am now the sole caregiver of my 86 year old wife…I love her dearly and I am struggling ….We live in a small town…I need to find a resource that can help us…
We were denied, spend most of my time taking care of my 100% disabled wife. No help but a nurse 1/2 hour twice a week.The va blows their horn about this program, looking on social media you will see a lot of denied stories. Those people need some help of some kind,some more than others. We have dealt with the situation for years, but my wife is getting worse and older and my health and age is making it pretty difficult. We have no choice but to carry on. One question I have with a high percentage of denials (look it up) what happens to all the money that is used for this program go?? Maybe the inspector general should do a investigation or audit to see why people who do need help are denied and where the budget is being spent.
Sometimes, I feel this program only works for veterans who don’t deserve it. They use the criteria to qualify veterans who need this program more complicated than veterans who don’t deserve it.
The hardest ‘job’ I’ve ever had. After a life of supporting my spouse, I wasn’t expecting it to continue into our golden years. Irrespective of this situation, I am grateful for the support we receive from the VA. Thank you!
My father is a veteran. He just turned 76. He is a paraplegic. I have been his care giver for almost 3 years now. He is under hospice care. We now have visiting angels coming in 5 days a week. They are the greatest . They really help me alot. And my dad likes them all. They are very caring and make him feel comfortable. We are going to try respite for a week. In December. I pray it works out and dad gets great care and he is happy there.
My father is a veteran. He just turned 76. He is a paraplegic. He is under hospice care. We now have visiting angels coming in 5 days a week. They are the greatest . They really help me alot. And my dad likes them all. They are very caring and make him feel comfortable. We are going to try respite for a week. In December. I pray it works out and dad gets great care and he is happy there.
I agree that the Veterans caregiver is non-replaceable and SHOULD get the credit they deserve. This article from the VA, is hilarious. The VA and their so called caregivers program is nothing more than an attempt to say they are doing what congress wants. If anyone in Washington gave a crap they would take a good long look at the top of VA and do an over haul. These veterans don’t stand a chance and I don’t care who is in office, your American citizens should always come first before anyone else.
How about instead of spending all that money on groups and workshops use it pay pay caregiver’s and stop denying them care giver status. Because when a caregiver can not work a job to help pay the bills because taking care of the veteran and all other house hold duty’s is a full time job offering them classes is a slap in the face! They need financial support first and foremost.. speaking from experience I would not have made it without the support of my wife/ caregiver taking care of all my needs. Driving me to and from appointments most are at least one hour if not two hours one way over 70 appointments this year alone, dealing with the va and scheduling appointments, making sure taking medication, giving injections, getting medication refilled, making sure I was eating and eating healthy, doing 98 percent of all household chores and the list goes on and on. But somehow she doesn’t qualify as a caregiver to receive a monthly stipend just some BS classes. Do better!!
Outstanding article and a much appreciated service for veterans.
My best friend’s husband is a Vietnam Era veteran. He did not serve overseas. He is in great physical need now and his wife will have to become his full-time care giver because they can’t afford for him to be in a nursing home. Will the VA help her out financially for being his caregiver?
You did not mentioned anything about financial support for either the Veterans or their family caregivers who frequently already have full time jobs and cannot quit that job because they have their own family to take care of and not wealthy enough to lose one family members income.
Also you only offer help with bathing and dressing but not for other problems like paying bills and doing financial accounting which many veterans loss that ability and they forget medical appointments which cost your Doctord time and money.
Furthermore messaging from the VA should ALWAYS INCLUED THE PERSONS NAME AND PHONE & extension for questions or clarity. The maze of return calling is frequently much too difficult!
Most of these veterans are older in age and cannot handle even basic computer skills!
Eliminating the emergency visit to the hospital & calling the VA Program has created a disaster. Definitely the wring decision ‼️ That nearly cost me my life because it took so long to get help on options that were still available and nobody could offer a solution!
I spoke with 3 vet services people. If a vet is in immediate need of medical help THERE SHOULD BE AN OPTION AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY ‼️
All I wanted was a medical professional to look at my throat for any possible Obstruction (which there was)‼️
And this emergency could have been handled in one minute!
Fortunately for me the obstruction cleared by itself a couple of hours later!
The VA WAS OF ZERO HELP!
I am now forced to buy MediCare Insurance because now I know that I cannot count on the VA to properly provide emergency help.
The service I get at VA Hospitals is TOP NOTCH??
Call me if you need more information and preferably from a manager.
One last note. My blood pressure SKYROCKETED TO 225 over 132, I could have also died from a Heart ATTACK!
The nearest VA MEDICAL SERVICE IS IN MARIN,MONTERY COUNTY A 1 hours drive or PALO ALTO, SANTA CLARA COUNTY A MINIMUM 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic.
I line in Santa Cruz County and only 2 blocks from the smallest VA FACILITY which has 1PA , 1Nurse& 1 Receptionists and they DO NOT OFFER ANY MEDICAL SERVICES EVEN EMERGENCY SERVICES! Then why do you have TRAINED MEDICAL STAFF RUNNING THIS “OUTLET”?
Something is very wrong here!
Please find out before one of our Vets die, me included? very wrong here!
Please find out before one of our Vets die, me included?
I am a Veteran and I am the sole caregiver for my wife who has several medical problems.
I was told by an organization that I could get respite care for myself, and the VA will pay for it.
So far I have not been able to find out any information from anyone if this is something that I would qualify for.
Thank you. Jim
I am lucky enough to have a great caregiver, I wrote about that. The VA doctors and nurses take good care of me. The care giver support folks, well that has been a nightmare, they do not even seem to be able to read. It really sucks to have been a capable man and now a needy one. Can not bath myself, dress myself, drive myself, deal with all the drugs, fix my own food, cut my own meat, well you get the ideal. All this is well documented in the ‘files’, this has gone on for years, the last appeal, a year old, is waiting to be assigned to the decision maker. They do not care or they would be doing a much better job.
I was denied being considered as a Caregiver but asked to join Caregiver groups. Why am I eligible for those but not as a Caregiver?
That’s what they do to the majority of applicants. It looks good to the public when they say that they are looking out for the caregivers when in truth they deny what they need most and that’s financial support not group meetings or websites about how to manage stress of being a caregiver!
I have run into this as well. Apparently the “cut-off” for paid caregiver support is 70% service related disability … or at least that is what I was told. It seems my only option is to place my husband in a full-time care facility. He is 62 – that is way to early for that type of program.
Why even have a caregiver support system within the VA? The VA reached out to my wife and I some years ago about a new program. Had us jump through a bunch of hoops, multiple levels of interviews, etc, only to be denied!!!!
My wife struggles on with her increasing health issues many in part, exasperated by the VA denial. As a Marine, we will adapt, overcome and survive!!!