VA values the contributions of caregivers and Veterans in our community. We’ve recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register, proposing updates to expand access to the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC).
Please note that these changes are not yet in effect, and your feedback is important in shaping the final rule.
Key highlights of the proposed changes
Although these changes are not yet in effect, the proposed updates aim to improve the PCAFC and provide more families with the support they need.
The proposed rule would:
- Expand eligibility: A broader definition of serious injury could allow more Veterans and caregivers to qualify for support.
- Add telehealth flexibility: VA seeks to offer telehealth home visits during certain types of emergencies.
- Extend delay in discharges based on reassessments: This proposed rule would delay discharges based on eligibility reassessments for legacy participants, legacy applicants and their family caregivers for an additional 18 months after the effective date of a final rule. The delay in discharges is currently slated to expire in September 2025. VA’s suspension of required annual reassessments, including legacy reassessments remains in place at this time.
- Require fewer reassessments: Under the proposed rule, VA would reassess eligibility less frequently, lowering the burden for Veterans and their families.
- Clarify eligibility: New criteria would expand and clarify the basis on which a Veteran may be determined in need of personal care services for six continuous months.
How you can get involved
The 60-day public comment period begins tomorrow, offering you the opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences. We encourage Veterans, caregivers and everyone involved in their care to review the proposed changes and provide feedback.
Your input is crucial. Every comment will be carefully reviewed to inform the final rulemaking. Remember, these are only proposed changes, and your voice can help shape the final rule. Get more information about PCAFC and check out our Frequently Asked Questions document for more information about the proposed rule.
“We are listening closely to Veterans, caregivers, Veterans Service Organizations and other stakeholders as we consider changes to PCAFC, including changes to eligibility. Your feedback is essential in refining these updates and improving the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers,” said Dr. Colleen Richardson, executive director of the Caregiver Support Program.
About the Caregiver Support Program (CSP)
The Caregiver Support Program (CSP) enhances the health and well-being of caregivers of Veterans through education, resources and services. Every VA facility has a CSP team that offers vital information to keep caregivers informed and supported. Visit CSP’s website or contact your local CSP team to learn more. Discover CSP’s 2023 Highlights in last year’s Annual Report.
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All the proposed changes are needed. I think that the yearly grilling is way too much. The caregiver has enough to worry about without this added burden every year. I think the expanded eligibility is needed very much so. The telehealth expansion would be greatly helpful. I think all these proposals would help veterans to receive the best care and at the same time put less stress on the caregivers.
I WAS TOLD AFTER MY THIRD DENIAL THAT I HAVE TO HAVE ALZHEIMERS DISEASE. MY LAST HOUR AND A HALF INTERVIEW THE R.N. SAID I DONT UNDERSTAND YOUR DENIALS, YOU ARE MORE THAN QUALIFIED. I GUESS THE QUOTA FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS IS FULL.
I believe that recruitment will be even lower when the public feels that being in the military
Is being down grading. The pride of knowing your country is supported! And you know it by how veterans are treated. It will show up in even LESS recruiting!!
God Bless our Veterans ‼️
My wife became my caregiver 15 years ago and even though my health has deteriorated over time somehow we don’t qualify anymore. This seems like a dangerous situation to put families in.
The caregiver’s program shouldn’t be as tricky as it is to qualify for Veterans and their families. I question if the thoroughness of the requirements for the program was presented in the same manner for enlistment if servicemen would choose to enlist. A Veteran, it seems, has to be completely incapacitated and unable to verbalize their needs before a caregiver can qualify despite medical records to support their claims. Yet this isn’t a surprise because the history of the Vets’ treatment by an organization tasked with taking care of them leaves much to be desired. At a minimum, when Vets are 100% compensated and have ongoing medical issues such as cancer, are elderly, etc., and someone is assisting them and has been, caregiver compensation and enrollment should be automatic. When there are denials of services for our elderly Veterans, I question if there is a waiting game to see who can hold out longer, the Department or the Veteran? There should be safeguards, grandfather clauses, and exemptions for some circumstances. Expanding eligibility, Extending delay in discharges based on reassessments, Requiring fewer reassessments, and clarifying and simplifying eligibility should be immediately considered and changed.
The focus of the Veterans and their families should be the driving force behind the decisions to help them and not create barriers to them living high-quality lives after all of their sacrifices.
I support adding more qualified veterans to the programs. I support not dropping any existing veterans from the programs. extending these benefits is good, making them permanent is better. If our country has billions of dollars for illegal immigrants, it should have ample funds for our vets.
I believe that recruitment will be even lower when the public feels that being in the military
Is being down grading. The pride of knowing your country is supported! And you know it by how veterans are treated. It will show up in even LESS recruiting!!
God Bless our Veterans ‼️
VA services and programs have improved greatly over the years and from what I see they continue to evolve, as they should. Often VA leads and academic and corporate interests follow. Being an able-disabled veteran I support the proposed changes because they are forward-thinking and balance science, medical and the financial interests of those invested. While it is not always easy to see the confluence of these “three pillars” of sustained veteran’s services, nor easy to see the value of sometimes absent public and policial support, it is however relatively painless to recognize the very high value the proposed rules — and VA in general — can have on recruitment of families who stand in support of young men and women who see the value in military service to this country. In short, VA is a wonderful recruitment tool when viewed as such.
My name is Sylvia pettway and I think all veterans need care with a bad injury on can’t do things for they sell like my brother I get up every morning and fix him breakfast helping take a bath a lot of things I do for him because I love my brother and I think we need our caregivers to help support our loved ones I do a lot for my brother cuz when he was in service he took care of me now what are I think my email is working it has to have it checked out
Expand eligibility: YES. If a veteran is 100 P/t and has demonstrated they need help with the ADLs and collect Any SMC (aka serious injury)should qualify for the program. This should justify his/her acceptance in the program because SMC means the vet has a severe condition or some form of loss that maybe debilitating in some way physically/mentally. And TDIU.
Extend delay in discharges: YES. Extend all legacy participants a minimum amount of 24 months from September 2025 to September 2027.
Add telehealth flexibility: YES offer telehealth
Require fewer reassessments: YES. Too many assessments are a burden to the caregiver and veteran. Reduce the visits and yearly assessments.
Clarify eligibility. Not sure how to answer this question.
Note: MORE PAY for the caregivers should be given and immediately. Please add this to the proposal. Thank you.
Pfac caregiver program does not help veterans who are 100% service connected with PTSD due to MST Mental Health and physical issues but considering the VA is a total letdown I’m not surprised stop saying you all care about veterans and disability PTSD when it takes 4 months to even get an appointment
re Clarification of Eligibility: it seems to me common, that veterans tend not to ask for VA medical assistance unless the need is very apparent and very great. To me, this is partly because basic training is for strength of will, endurance, and team spirit – i.e., help the other guy, others are worse off.
VA assistance I have observed is practical and very direct, more focused, in my opinion. than medical services in the private sector, which I see as too often over-sold. I think a broader definition of service-related conditions would benefit the economy as a whole,
both from direct cost-savings, from modest stipends for caretakers, to increased morale for those in need of care, to receive it at home.
As a fairly new caregiver, I am definitely in favor of the expanded program. I am also in favor of the Clarified eligibility criteria being expanded because I was denied the stipend due to one criteria. I do all bill paying, take care of appointments which are numerous and follow up with my husbands 5 shots a day for diabetes. Dementia has been diagnosed and is gradually getting worse so I am all for expanding the program. I am very thankful for the PCAFC program as we could not receive the care my husband needs due to cost without it.
I have participated in the PCAFC as a VA social worker conducting check in’s and now am participating in CSP as the spouse of a Veteran (which I never imagined). I have experienced the benefit of the program from the clinical side and as a spouse having someone to check in with. Many if not most of our Veterans don’t want to be a bother or a burden to their loved ones, and the caregivers feel the same. And some Veterans simply do not have a large extended family or family members close by to provide additional support. It’s extremely important to provide all the support necessary for Veterans and caregivers. We are serving many Vietnam Veterans with complex medical conditions and our GWOT/Post 9-11 Veteran population is aging. The time is right to anticipate a growing need and expand eligibility.
The Caregiver VA Management are Criminal. The Sppeal Program is criminal. He nails are frequent. There reconsideration of denial are slow if nonexistence.. if the Veteran is old, I am certain our policy is this; if you’re dying, you’re not a problem for long and if you’re dead, you’re not a problem
There are 108 comments here and only 84 on the direct link where we are supposed to add our comment. As K posted the real link I am sharing it again. The above article did not provide the link.. that I saw anyway and probably the 108 who commented here didn’t either.
Here is the website to leave a public comment since it is not included here.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/06/2024-28079/amendments-to-the-program-of-comprehensive-assistance-for-family-caregivers
Copy your comment from here and go to the link to paste it. That way they get everyone’s input!
Need financal assistance living for Assisted living in a New home.
After some devastating surgery in which I was completely disabled for almost six months, after the 5 weeks I spent in the hospital, I was forced to live at my girlfriend’s house as I couldn’t fend for myself.
She drove me to my chemotherapy and 30 radiation appointments during that time, plus helped me eat and bathe. I attempted to get her reimbursed, but to no avail.
I think that was extremely poor treatment of a person who pretty much kept me alive.
LT Richard Davis Barber, USN (Retired) – It has been an nightmare dealing with the Federal VA, I still have no idea if I am accepted or rejected. As an Personnel and Administrative Office, I have all my records, 0ver 60 lbs. Using the Commonwealth of Virginia VA has been a very pleasant experience. I am going blind with Glaucoma (Left eye 20/200, Right eye 20/150) have worn corrective glasses since age 4, I am now nearing 86). I also have documented proof of repeat exposure to asbestos
while serving on WWI constructed ships. When assigned to the Navy Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia, I had to board, open hatches and check for flooding and all were loaded with asbestos. VA results so far “O”. At 86, thjey are problably waiting for me to die. I will outlive you all…..
Please, clarification on the six month rule . My care is required all year long my conditions do not change or get better they stay the same , so I need the help year around thank you for looking at this .
Spouse. Non veteran has been diagnosed with dementia.
Would be nice to have support to help her.
Anything to improve the health care system for us veterans, I’m all for. Veterans are our first line of defense and this country must support all veterans, no matter their health level.
i need t o be on good health and my family
I am 90% disabled. I have back and lower extremity problems. My wife helps me in more ways than I can count. We have young children that need support that I can no longer give. Some days, between the work I do to support the family and my service connected disabilities, I have to rest for up to an entire evening. So she steps in with kids bath/bed time, cooking, cleaning, daily life activities. But since there isn’t any of the “seven daily activities” that I cannot perform, at least part of the time, my wife’s is not eligible under the most current rules.
I would argue that since my children are part of my VA disability calculation then they and their needs should be considered in any VA related benefits. I have a legal responsibility to them I cannot fulfill as a parent due to my service connected disability, which my wife fulfills in my place.
The current non-monetary benefits of caregiver are less than useful (except for the caregiver support group) unless you are within a major city and your caregiver doesn’t have any other responsibilities that may prevent them from participating. My wife wouldn’t be able to participate in caregiver support program communal activities anyways because we have children and I can’t give them the support.
We have been recommended by our care giver support team to NOT apply under the new program since my injuries and needs are not “to the level that caregivers are being approved under the current rules” and that “the money you are getting now is better than nothing.” It’s so defeatist but is the conservative choice to not risk being kicked out. So under threat we don’t reapply to a program in fear of our current benefits being stripped.
Usually when social support programs are amended, they allow more applicants, not deny more than 50% of those currently eligible. I’m sure there is something else somewhere outside the VA our government can cut spending to n deny care to those of us who gave everything not knowing how things would turn out.
How much we depend on our family and in many cases, our spouse, becomes unfathomable to lose that help. If we are ultimate removed from the program, My wife’s workload would increase immensely and my level of care would diminish greatly if she started working. Though her stipend is less than $1000 dollars a month, it allows her to stay home and care for me. Without it, we would be financially below water and I’d hate to see her suffer for doing the right thing when no one except for me and my children are looking. She deserves this pay. She busts her but constantly for me. It would certainly be telling her “Thanks for helping him but he just isn’t ‘that bad’.” I need her help. There isn’t anyone who knows my needs and is available at 2 AM to help me with them. It’s her and she deserves our support. The amount of work she does alleviates the problems I would currently have if it weren’t for the care she provides me day in and day out.
Hello I am Parent of a 100% disabled Veteran and a veteran Myself, I care for a mentally handicapped veteran (my Son) 35 who suffers from PTSD and Schizophrenia I was denied caregiver status because he can dress himself and handle minor chores but lacks executive function and has panic attacks, I work 2 jobs just to make it by. my son is incapable of caring for himself , he is being scammed all the time out of money and makes very poor life choices I will not ever ask for help again but I do think that caregivers need more support, the VA has been great and the people there are A+ and we are very grateful for that.
My husband was in the Navy for 28 years retired E8 I helped him lot bathing dressing massaging lean on my shoulder even he used the cane fix his food 3 times a day snacks in between I’m putting my whole time in taking care of him He has 70% rating I’m disappointing of looking at him serving our country that long honestly but when I applied for caregiver program I was denied 2 times other people work in the office of VA get paid huge amount because of these people service and they ignore the people they fought for the freedom they neglect them otherwise Take a look at our application please
We need HELP with my brother who was Service Connected from exposure at an EPA Superfund Site Air Force Base, then moved out of state with our mother who is now deceased. His mental issues are complicated with other diagnosis’ he didn’t receive earlier. VA is sending him to several CRC Homes who do not comprehend a history of conduct, and he is in big trouble repeatedly, spending excessive time at VA Hospitals and unfamiliar facilities not specialized in specific medical conditions. We must MOVE him to a State with FAMILY to care and visit him, we have been unable to see him in person for several years from his Social Worker’s lack of contact, repeatedly changing, and current CRC Home’s phone “Voicemail has not been set up” He is a VA PRISIONER, and having many Military Family Members, as a Gold Star Family we’re appalled at the lack of assistance now!
My husband is considered catastrophically disabled with both hearing and severe vision problems. Help from the VA in refining my thinking about his perceptual differences now, has been extraordinary. I deeply appreciate both the medical care he is receiving and available articles and videos.
A home-caregiver’s stipend would be of significant financial relief to our family. His medical problems are not presently considered service-based, therefore he does not qualify for this.
I hope this will change, for I was told many years ago, that he was singled out by his commanding officer as an exemplary soldier.
I am a VN vet and my wife is in need of care as she has developed alzheimer’s 18 months ago.
Is there any support for a vetrans spouse at the VA?
Here is the website to leave a public comment since it is not included here.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/06/2024-28079/amendments-to-the-program-of-comprehensive-assistance-for-family-caregivers
Thank you for posting this! It’s not surprising it was specifically requested and then left out of the article. My heart breaks reading these comments. I care for my father, a Vietnam veteran with a 100% service connected disability. It took more than a decade of fighting the V.A for that. My father needs assistance with all ADLs in addition to protective care because of the PTSD and flashbacks. All his doctors have labeled him as a harm to self and provided written assessments. We were denied the caregiver program. They basically laughed in our face and the irony is those who drafted the final decision couldn’t compose a letter free of spelling and grammatical errors. These are the people making decisions over veterans. But I guess it doesn’t require much knowledge or training to stamp a file “Denied.”
All of the proposals are proactive. Collectively, I support each and every one of them. I might note that perhaps only one or two would affect any one veteran, but the strength of the proposal is that it is broad and comprehensive. Therefore, with the complexity of veteran’s issues, such an approach will positiely benefit the majority of veterans. Because of this, I would not suggest rank ordering which proposal is superior over another. I can definitely observe one or two that would impact me personally, so I would rank them highest.
First, yes I agree that eligibility does need expansion, too many veterans get discharged without adequate follow up care that could reduce their returns to the VA , and especially to catch situations and correct them before they progress into worse or even life threatening issues which could gave been curtailed by better advice availability to caregivers, or, in the case of veterans trying to do their own care at home due to a lack if other persons in their living situation to help them in the role of caregivers , mire accurate and timely information from qualified medically trained sources, could save lives and VA funds.
It appears as if the “Caregiver Support Program” only applies to married people. I have been with my S.O. for well over 35 years and she is my main source of support. I am memory challenged due to an accident I suffered while in the military and my short term memory is “shot”. I can’t remember from one minute to the next.
She has been my major source of companionship, mental (memory) help and keeping me as active as necessary to keep me healthy.
We never married due to financial circumstances, but she has been my companion for all these years.
Could this program work for her???
I agree to the changes listed below because my review is not based on current disability medical issues–“no documented neurological impairment or injury that requires supervision and protection” to note a serious issue and problem with me filing a claim for the program of comprehensive assistance as wife and caregiver of a disabled veteran that my husband agreed to:
Therefore, yes to :
*Expand eligibility: A broader definition of serious injury could allow more Veterans and caregivers to qualify for support.
*Add telehealth flexibility: VA seeks to offer telehealth home visits during certain types of emergencies.
*Extend delay in discharges based on reassessments: This proposed rule would delay discharges based on eligibility reassessments for legacy participants, legacy applicants and their family caregivers for an additional 18 months after the effective date of a final rule. The delay in discharges is currently slated to expire in September 2025. VA’s suspension of required annual reassessments, including legacy reassessments remains in place at this time.
*Clarify eligibility: New criteria would expand and clarify the basis on which a Veteran may be determined in need of personal care services for six continuous months.
*Require fewer reassessments: Under the proposed rule, VA would reassess eligibility less frequently, lowering the burden for Veterans and their families.
My wife and I applied for the Caregiver Support Program. I’m 100 percent P&T and because of my back injury and other Military related injuries I am not able to wash dishes, wash/dry my own clothes, cut or edge my own yard, pick up all the dog poop in my back yard, clean my own house, make my own bed, wash the lower half of my body, push or pull anything, carry any extra weight (goceries, packs of water, etc), go up or down stairs/inclines. I can’t walk on sand, gravel, rocky ground or grass because of my hypothermia/frost bite injuries. I made sure to give all this info to the VA lady that handled my request for Caregiver support. IT WAS DENIED!!! Without my wife to help me I’m not sure what I would do. My TBI (service related) makes it hard for me to be able to pay the bills without getting confused. I have a very hard time determening what we have in the panty, whether we need more of one thing or another. I get confused when I go the the grocery store (too many choices/prices). I have short term memory loss and can’t remember if I took my medication or not. I can’t drive myself anywhere because of vertigo and double vision (all service related), I have to depend on my wife for almost everything and still I was still denied. I included all these items in the Caregiver Support information. I was DENIED!! The only reason I applied for the Caregiver Program is that it’s not fair that my wife has to do everything for me (including things that I would normally do). Every time I reinjure my back (service related) I’m totally incapacitated for weeks but that isn’t good enough for the Cargiver Program. In the caregiver program I have to totally incapacited for at least 6 months continuously……..that requirement is totally out of touch with reality. If am in need of continuous help for one month or 12 months, it shouldn’t make difference. If I’m totally incapacited for 5 months and 25 days I will be DENIED Caregiver Support. I think my wife deserves better for taking care of me. She never complains and is always supportive. If she could get some kind of compensation for all that she does for me I wouldn’t be so depressed and I wouldn’t feel like such a burden. I find it unbeleivable that the VA (or whoever) can’t understand that it’s important that a spouse (or relative) be compensated for taking care of a veteran who can’t take care of himself/herself. I don’t expect any changes to the criteria required by the Caregiver Program but at least no one can say that I didn’t speak up when the time came.
I am a 100% disabled Army/Vietnam vet. It took me years to get that much. I guess better late than never, but it should have never taken so many years of pain & anguish to get just a small % at a time, esp. when more than 1 C&P exam/interviewer said if it were up to them, I’d get 100%. I do appreciate that I’ve finally reached that plateau. Mostly good service, treatments, medications, scheduling, etc, but certainly could be better. Too many foreign doctors, making it difficult to understand, & frequent turnover of them as well. I don’t know if the VA doesn’t pay enough (they’ve saved lots of $ by not approving as many vets who need help), or what the problem is. Many VA facilities are old &/or need updating. I have lots of “care in the community.” Getting authorization extensions has proven unsatisfactory numerous times. I have stayed in a Fisher House (St. Louis) & a Veterans House in Indy many times, & they are wonderful facilities. I sure hope Trump doesn’t cut Veteran benefits. Complaining/bitching doesn’t do much good. God bless the USA & esp. it’s Vets!
The program does not go far enough. A veteran who meets all the current criteria does not receive any help if his/her spouse becomes seriously ill and the veteran becomes the primary caregiver. I. E. The veteran is 100% disabled, his wife is diagnosed with dementia and the 100% disabled veteran becomes her primary caregiver. The veteran is, most likely putting his own health at great risk but the caregiver program offers no help, no respite, etc. so a veteran who’s health is already compromised, puts his own health further at risk.
Like most everything, the PCAFC program isn’t perfect. That said, I am extremely grateful for it. I took care of my husband for fourteen years until Gulf War vets became eligible in October 2022. It has been wonderful to have the extra funds and to feel like what I do matters enough to get paid for it. Having CHAMPVA has been a huge blessing because I have had a lot of health issues this year, and a few months ago the local PCAFC program recognized that my husband needs skilled nursing care and started sending a real nurse rather than a home health aid and the nurse can help with so much more that the aid was legally allowed to. I am so happy to have her and so happy to be part of this program!
Where do we leave the comment? No link to direct us.
I was on my death bed waiting for a liver transplant and my wife had to stop working to take care of me, since I was not 70% service connected she did not receive one penny of compensation! I also was told i could not get the transplant unless all my remaining teeth were removed, guess what, I dont qualify for dentures because I didn’t take a round to the face. The VA needs to be looked at very deeply about who qualifies for what and when. I wish President Trump would read his social media comments.
Your situation is unfortunate but there has to be rules and regulations in order for the system to function. I mean just like you mentioned about not being 70% service connected all that means is you are not qualified just because you are dying. I mean I know that sounds terrible but in order to cover those veterans who are 70% or more connected there has to be rules and regulations. I am 100% disabled, I am a twenty four year military retiree serving in VN and Desert Storm. There has to be cut off dates and rules in place for those who are worse off than you to be taken care of. You might want to buy better health insurance. There is a Care Card that you can apply for that is interest free if you pay all off by cut off date. I have used before and that helps.
This is the most ice cold response to someone hurting. You MUST work for the defunct caregiver program as you’re as heartless as all of them.
I am the wife of a 100% T&P veteran. Married for 46 years. We applied for the Caregiver Program in October 2020. We were denied benefits although he can’t live by himself or take care of himself. Simply put, he cannot clean himself, dress, walk without assistance, cook, shop for groceries, do laundry or anything else that requires strength and coordination. He took a Functional Independence Measure (FIM) assessment and had scored number 1, three times. This clearly indicated his lack of capacity and ability to take care of himself. This test was completed at the direction of a Caregiver Program administrator and the administrator did not use this important assessment in conjunction with his medical records when arriving at the decision to deny. Too, his VA doctor in Plano, Texas, simply did not document my husband’s on-going deterioration nor would he document that my husband needs everyday living assistance and has for years which is well beyond six continuous months. I take my husband to all his VA medical visits and have for years. I go in with my husband to help him throughout the visits. He can’t drive nor can he get in and out of the vehicle without my assistance. He has mobility issues and uses a rollator and an electric scooter. All of this on top of his myriad of deteriorating health problems. His VA health records from years ago spelled out the physical hardships my husband would and now face.
It seems the doctor was tired himself; he was not an advocate for improving the health status of my husband and didn’t care to marshal the vast VA medical services to help him either, and was weary of the whole system. The doctor was nice, but he just wasn’t “present.” The doctor is retired now, and my husband is bounced around to different medical staff these days.
I say all of that to now say: The VA Caregiver Program sounds good on paper, and it reads as if the VA health system really does invest interest and support in their veterans and their families. In my real world of dealing with the VA… it just isn’t so.
We have been under the Caregiver program for about 2 years now and I have nothing but praise for it. My wife and I are retired RNs and in 2009 I had a freak swimming pool accident that caused a life changing spinal cord injury which left me as a incomplete quadriplegic and then in 2013 I lost my left leg below the knee. My wife is my VA caregiver and the stipend really is helpful. I don’t mind the video follow ups and the once a year home visit isn’t a problem. I do wish that the Caregiver program had been available sooner as my wife has been forced to completely take care of me since September of 2009. I spend at least 95% of my time in bed and rely on my power chair for mobility. The VA has really taken great care of me especially since 2014, VA housing grant, accessible house, hearing aids, handicapped van every 2 years and approved outside MDs. I do get frustrated sometimes especially when I have to go to Acute Care because of 4+ hour wait time. I would like to see COLA increase for stipend yearly as a minimum increase. The Caregiver program does eliminate so many visits to Acute Care but sometimes it can’t be prevented. There also have been problems while at Acute Care with allowing my Caregiver at my bedside and giving her updates on my condition. Even so, the VA Caregiver Program is a “God Send” to this 100%, T&P, service connected disabled vet. Thank you for taking care of me and my wife/caregiver.
I would like to point out that some of the care that I have received from mental health is quite substandard. Some of it, or lack of, has caused me to attempt suicide and admitted to psychiatric hospital for a week. My caregiver wasn’t allowed to visit me or receive information about me while I was hospitalized. My VA mental health providers are really bad.
My husband is 100% disabled P&T and has an incompetency finding, has brain injury along with other injuries and needs a walker to stand and or walk. I am reaching out to help advocate for us and veterans in our same situation. Pages 56 & 57 will stop allowing the use of IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) to help determine if veterans with TBI and Neurological disorders can be eligible to be part of the caregiver program. These activities were used to help qualify those with brain injuries with factors such as: needs medication management, transportation, managing medical appointments, meal preparation, and others. Veterans with brain injury and hidden injuries need IADL qualifiers to measure the degree of help they need. Further on these pages it states Congress did not intend to have another person providing these services. How is that different that another person assisting with ADLs?
I have seen what it looks like when my husband accidentally overdosed on his medication and was hospitalized due not being able to understand if he took his medications or what day it is. He missed all his appointments and was not able to keep track or manage his medical care. He is not able to drive. Lastly on page 56 & 57 the VA thinks these veterans should fall under 71.20 legislation. There is no way to quantify and measure supervision, protection, instruction. I tried to prove safety and protection with a long list of issues that I have experienced and there was no measurement for this. My list of lost in our neighborhood, leaving stove on, accidental overdose of medication, constant falls and many more was overlooked as consideration for supervision and protection. There was no way to qualify supervision and protection. Please help us keep IADLs in place to help quantify the needs of those vets with TBI in a straight forward way.
The burden of caregiving does not fall equitably upon Veteran families. The recent RAND report said the caregivers pay out of pocket an average of more than $8000 p/yr and loses an average of about $4000 in lost income. Over a two-year period our family shelled out nearly twice that amount for our Veteran father who suffered dementia and a panoply of deteriorating health conditions. A big part of our difficulty was his determination to spend his final days in Port Angeles WA while his children reside in Southern California and Southern Nevada. The costs of airline travel, car rental, and motel accommodations took a massive toll on our budget. We also had to bear a significant part of the expense of repairing the Veteran’s home after we were told by social workers he could not be allowed to remain in his home due to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. It didn’t help that our father suffered John Wayne-Syndrome, that is, too proud to reveal his deteriorating plight and too proud to ask for help. Also, too proud to apply for Veterans’ benefits because he considered it welfare. One of the complications of power of attorney is that the fiduciary is obliged to fulfill the wishes of his principal. Acting contrary to the principal’s will, even when he is clearly no longer mentally competent, risks other dire consequences.
I doubt that our family circumstance is unusual in caregiving a Veteran accustomed to giving orders and having them followed without question. When a parent is too proud to reveal vulnerability and perceived failure, caregiving becomes a costly proposition emotionally and financially.
For those families in similar situations, where the financial burden threatens caregivers ability to save and invest for their own secure retirement, some equitable monetary consideration from the VA, authorized by Congress one would hope, seems fair, reasonable, and just.
My Husband need to attend 24/7 he only have 60 % Haw can ya’ll help me to take care he is 76 year old, with parkinson
Was he stationed at camp Lejeune? Contact the office of Hill and Ponton and see if they will take your case. Don’t fall for scams. Also look up hill and ponton on YouTube. Their channel is free info and helped me with my and my dad claims. Look up combat Craig too. He has great info. Also can go to a VSO like DAV, American legion, and ask about secondary conditions to add to his service connection. My dad has Parkinson’s and is connected for secondary conditions like stiffness, limited mobility, insomnia, depression, anxiety, etc.
Caregiver progrM looks good in papers but applied two times and denied that’s a lie whoever makes these decisions with the people they do interview on virtual calls they asked so many stupid questions but they don’t know what families atr been through we hope and pray they change the way they do virtual call not for them to read from their handbook and pay a lot of money but the poor veterans are suffer which so unfair for them to fought for our freedom and left them like this stop posting programs that makes you workers paid big time but ended up denied ahe applied for Pact Act but denied too even he has rash mental sleep apnea user asthma they denied 3 times Mau be whoever makes decision should leave their comfy chair and go out to the field in active duty and fight and see what’s the real thing is Hope Pres Trump see all these and bring these complaints to his attention
Would have appreciated links to current eligibility requirements. To be honest, I don’t know anything about this benefit and am fast approaching the age at which I may need it or a casket.
For the record, I am pleased with VA Health Care since enrolled some six or eight years ago. Some of the Community Care has been disappointing – but that care is not under the control of the VA. I know vets who’ve yet to enroll and commiserate with them over the many issues they have seeking treatment in the private sector and urge them to sign up.
I realize the VA may disappoint from time to time, after all they are staffed by fellow human beings who share all our human frailties. And, I suspect, we will hear more bitchin’ than not ’cause we all know the lessons of the squeaky wheels.
Indeed, it was one such comment which got me to leave this comment today. I was about to turn to another task when I read a complaint and decided to share my experience.
Sign up. Joint the Million Man thing. You don’t give up access to private care, but you may find the VA takes a closer look and better care than those for profit medical folks that dispensed all that Oxy Contin and make you come back to get your blood test results.
And, yes, DENTAL BENEFITS for all! They want $1,200.00 for a crown replacement – after my insurance!
In a nation as wealthy as ours, citizens should not need to serve in a war zone to get our health care – some literally giving an arm and a leg to get it.
I’m very happy with the VA’s CPA. I’ve just recently joined the BBC group that was designed by Stanford University. It helps having someone other than the Veteran you’re caring for to talk to. It can be very lonely when it’s just the two of you. I do all the cooking, cleaning up the house. I take care of his appointments and daily meds. Please don’t take this program away from the Caregivers. It’s truly a blessing.
I am not in need of regular caregiver support. However I am the caregiver for my husband (he is not a veteran) with early onset alzheimer’s. I occasionally have severe arthritic flare ups in my neck, back and left knee. During these times I suffer INTENSE pain, significant swelling, extreme stiffness, I feel fatigued, usually run a low grade fever and I am unable to care for myself. Movement of any type takes my breath away. I would like to see a program where I could get assistance 6-7 days at a time, a few times a year. Yes all of the arthritis is service connected and I’m C&T. During these flare ups, I am at my own mercy. I have no one to rely on for regular help. Even someone coming in 2-3 hrs per day to help me eat, etc. would be a blessing. Currently all I can do is Uber to a hospital, get 3 days of pain killers and suffer til it passes. Thank you for listening
What are the current requirements for
PCAFC?
The entire VA needs to be overhauled! This is the most sorry excuse of medical I’ve ever experienced. My dad is now in a veteran’s home thanks to medical malpractice. The social workers are about as sorry as you can possibly get. They give you bad advice and then expect the family to fix their negligence. The stress I have been under for the last year is nothing short of criminal.
We desperately need dental care for all veterans, it’s not about looking good it’s about being able to eat.
I’m sorry you are having dental issues, and I don’t know where you live, but the VA Clinics in Western WA have dental clinics, or farm you out to local dentists and orthodontists if you need something they either don’t have, or are experiencing more need than they can cover. It might be helpful to reach out to the VA Clinics/hospital closest to you, or any of the veteran organizations near you, and ask about who to call for more information to find dental care.
I’m 100% P&T disabled, I need assistance with dressing, showering lower extremities, use a upright walker and need assistance with walking as well. I have sleep apnea, heart problems, tinnitus, have had several procedures on my lower back, neck and sacrum. Take 16 types of medications. I applied for a caregiver and got denied twice. I was basically told that you almost have to be dead to be approved. Got denied modifications to my restroom and toilet and bathtub also for a ramp in the front and back of my house. All this is happening in Corpus Christi Texas VA clinics plus you are basically only seen once a year and basically make all decisions through your blood work that’s done.
Marine Corps veteran denied 3 times in 3 for a caregiver. I now go to behavioral clinic once a month and it costs the VA 5k a month. It would be cheaper to make my wife my caregiver but the system is rigged. I was in the homeless veteran program until I got 100 percent. PTSD is daily and forever but it doesn’t matter how many of us commit suicide due to not getting the care we need from the people who said they’d take care of us after the war. Thanks America.
Although I received an (early-out) honorable discharge, I don’t believe I am qualified (after reading this website) because my disability is not service-connected and because my discharge was an “early-out” and did not serve in an active war zone. I’m past 86, and need caregiver assistance, but will not be qualified for it for those reasons.
No doubt that we veterans will, at some point, need caregiving support. I’m 80 years old Viet Nam vet with 100% disability and unemployability. At this moment, I am holding up physically well enough to care for most of my needs, but I know that someday, perhaps soon, I’ll be in a place where I will need assistance for daily care. My wife is 68 years old but is having to work to supplement our financial needs. She is a wonderful woman and wife to me. I definitely prefer her care to having an outside caretaker come in (unless absolutely necessary).
I was always under the impression, for many years, that the VA would provide an old soldier’s home accommodation as needed. I remember seeing some of these homes as my family traveled around by car. My uncle, who was a World War 11 vet, ended up in his last years in some kind of care facility in Oregon. It seems that, it would be far less expensive to the government to give monthly stipends for family accommodations than to keep up fully functioning facilities (unless absolutely needed for an individual’s care) around the country with full-time staff.
As my needed care time approaches, I will watch closely for further determinations for in-home care from the VA.
The last word is that as a nation, we can spend billions of dollars in accommodating immigrants with both financial and housing support for So Called Social Justice candidates.
I sincerely desire that our country will succeed amid the political and power struggles going on around the world. It’s time to resharpen our pencils and morals to move forward in this Universe. No more wars means No more need for Veteran end-of-life care.
Thank you
I’ll be signing up for Care Giver Help soon. If it wasn’t for my care giver I wouldnot be living at home. Any way the VA can help them, Helps us to stay in our homes.
I would like clarification of my individual situation. I was told that if I were to protest, or my wife were to protest her dismissal or (Voluntary termination, she would face Fraud charges. I need legal advice. You want to prosecute, go ahead. I am 100% T&P and am PISSED as hell. The NAVY mis diagnosed me in 1967, and the VA continued with what the found for 50 years. BAMC finaly got it corrected in 2006. two years later, i had a brain aneurism.
This Caregivers Support program has saved two lives here under our roof. My husband is 100% disabled and on kidney dialysis 3x a week. Day to day living is a challenge. This program was there for us in a very serious situation. Our stress has been reduced to a good extent. Please expand and give others this much needed support. I could not take care of my husband on my own. we’d both be long gone without this support.
I am forever grateful for the VA Caregiver Program.
Without it my disabled husband would have ended up in a nursing home.
I was able to secure in-home resources through this program to keep my husband home, as we both wished.
After a TBI in Iraq , my husband, with 28 years plus service was retired out instead of medically discharged as he should have been just so he could receive care at VA . After several years of me caring for him we moved closer to family and the Mountain Home VA literally saved us by introducing the Caregiver program . There are no words to convey my gratitude. It’s a 24/7 position caring for my husband and his PTSD – TBI issues . You can’t put a price on the value of the man the Army took from me , you can continue to help me care for him , please . So many need the caregiver support , please don’t forget us .
My Vet is 100% service related . I’m about to give up on Care Giver Program. We could really use the program. We spend 24 a day together. I’m sure he would like companionship out of the house (compound). Any help would be apprecated.
Most recent (Trump) indicates they will start trimming back VA FIRST ! What incentive is there for VA personnel to help us if their jobs are on the chopping block ?
I think this could be excellent for the Veteran if it is set up correctly. One thing that really concerns me is the prescription part of this. Ex. If I do a video appointment for the flu and need a medication.. my choices are limited to WAITING FOREVER for a CA Prescription or paying deductibles. Why not give us a card like ChampVA that I could go to any pharmacy in my neighborhood to get the prescription.
Please think about that. It’s a huge problem
I am a disabled veteran at 100 percent most of my disabilities keep me from being able to clean my home and do every day stuff but since I can shower myself because it has a seat I don’t qualify for a caregiver which makes living day to day hard and makes my disabilities worse with pain because a lot of rhe day to day stuff like laundy sweeping vacuuming and moping hurt my backend feet
PLEASE make service less complicated especially for those who must drive 3-4 hours for re evaluation every month in the harsh winter months just to get a RX filled . On the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska having to drive to Anchorage is insane.
I’m a caregiver for my wife as she has Multiple Sclerosis. She is 100% P &T with SMC R-1. The change that I would like to see has to do with respite care. She should be allowed to stay in our home as it is handicapped accessible for her special needs. As of now, the rule is that she must stay at a respite facility that contracts with the VA. As you may know, these facilities are not up to any health standards that she will tolerate, both physically and emotionally. I cannot in good conscience bring myself to dump her in a respite care facility. It’s cruel and unusual punishment. So my suggestion is that a respite care facility could contract out to provide in home respite services for the time allowed. Also, this should include emergency respite care in case the caregiver can no longer provide the necessary care because of a short term emergency to the caregiver.
Something is definitely wrong here. If your current living quarters are setup for her issues and she has a caregiver, why should she go to a respite facility?
I hope this will help more veterans to get the help they need.It would be of great service to the people that take care of our veterans and saves money in the long rum
VA don’t give a Rat’s -ss. I can’t get Community Care when a Dr. has approved it. Nothing will change!
The VA Caretaker Program is a critical lifeline for many veterans and their families. However, to truly serve its purpose, the program must adopt a more individualized and inclusive approach.
1. Individual-Based Assessment
Veterans have unique circumstances and needs, shaped by their service and personal challenges. The VA Caretaker Program should evaluate eligibility on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that no veteran is overlooked due to rigid, one-size-fits-all standards.
2. Broader Standards, Greater Accessibility
The current standards for qualifying are too narrow, often excluding veterans who could greatly benefit from support. Expanding the program’s criteria would ensure that all veterans with legitimate needs are provided access to the care they deserve.
3. Acknowledging the Diversity of Caretaker Roles
Caretakers provide a wide range of support—physical, emotional, logistical, and beyond. Not every caretaker’s duties look the same, but all contributions are essential. The program must recognize and value this diversity in caregiving.
4. Partial Assistance Is Still Assistance
Just because a veteran does not require assistance in every area of their life does not mean they do not need a caretaker. Even partial support can significantly improve a veteran’s quality of life and overall well-being.
The VA Caretaker Program plays a vital role in honoring the sacrifices of our veterans and their families. By broadening its standards and embracing a more personalized approach, the program can better fulfill its mission of providing meaningful and comprehensive support to those who served.
Hello and good day to you all.
Thank you so much for the update and email iv received and I’m greatly honoured to be part of a well organised service for the MEN AND WOMEN who go and do the most terrifying and hardest job you can imagine. There is one thing I’m going to say an please forgive but how many soldiers fight put thee lives on the line come home after years of service and put on the streets!!. They should be an priority before anyone apart young families. If you think about it can you tell me how many are homeless in the US AND UK?. To be honest you are doing a fantastic job in doing what you have done in the pars few years and I’m proud to be a part of it I really am. I don’t think there is much to do because it’s all covered what iv seen over the years and I really can’t say anymore to be just keep up the good work and I love you to my bit as much as I can thank you and God bless to you all. Kind regards SEP1972.
The elimination of the caretaker program should not be based upon a narrow discovery of peoples disabilities. It should be utilized to review a persons personal issues. Do not utilize this program based on a group of disabilities versus a persons personal disabilities. It should not be based on a broad definition, but instead be based on an individual case by case basis.
If civilian doctors are considered caregivers for veterans why can’t VA doctors and civilian doctors work together in helping veterans?
I’ve always seen how the VA is trying to do something for the caregivers of veterans. And that’s important.
But, if you’re a caregiver AND a veteran, like I was, for my wife who was bedridden for 10 years before she died, the official VA response is “pound salt.”
I hope that VA make changes to the program that will help veterans. I was terminated because my husband could feed himself although he cannot use the stove or microwave to prepare his food nor can he drive or get his bath by himself. The Doctor even sent VA a letter showing all of this
I think that is one of the worst rules VA has and make it difficult to qualify. I have to pay someone to help me every week
As a Veteran I originally had 21 Hours a week by visits from FirstLight Caregivers. It was cut to 9 Hours. I fully understand the cost the VA has deal with. If you please, please can go from 9 to just 12 hours it would mean so much for my Mental Health as this is the Only Human Contact I get. I served my country during Vietnam and Today a 77-year-old Single Man homebound dealing with Deep Depression. I cannot walk unassisted an fell several times and taken to the ER.-Thank You Very Much for whatever you can do to increase by FirstLight visits. -William Lai
I’m sure many veterans that have PTSD need caregivers for their well being, even though they don’t need physical aids in their daily lives. Look at the depression rates and suicidal rates for our Vets that could have had better lives if they had a partner supporting them mentally daily. These type of Vets could benefit from having a compensated caregiver. It’s a lot for the partner to carry.
I’ve been taking care of my Veteran for two years now. It took us a yr and a half of being denied to finally get approved for the PCAFC. I’m not related to my Veteran and he had no other family to care for him. He suffers from homelessness, dementia and Multiple Myeloma that causes his spine to fracture. He could go to assisted living but he would still need a caregiver to help him with bathing, getting dressed, driving to Jesse Brown and medication reminders. I felt during the denials and waiting to be paid other caregivers would have neglected this wonderful man who loves his country and is a proud Vietnam Purple Heart Veteran. I’m honored to be his caregiver and the sacrifices I make daily are worth it because he is a wonderful decent man who deserves a caregiver to help him.
I feel that disabled veterans need total & assistance in the home regardless of he or she can or can not spoon feed themselves, wipe their buttocks each and every time in order to qualify for having a caregiver in the home. Several veterans suffering from PTSD have several issues, one is the ability to accept the help from anyone with Activities of daily living because the mental health diagnosis makes it extremely difficult to understand that he or she needs the help. Another example is risk of suicidal thoughts that the veteran may be at risk of
Taking their life, they too need total care for safety there must be someone there at all times in order to keep the veteran safe, and decrease the risk of becoming homeless because they’re at risk of leaving a safe, stable environment . Another risk factor I notice is chronic pain, unsteady gait, & medication management are extremely necessary for the veteran for example, daily medication such as, the right dose, correct med, take when needed, avoid taking improper dosage which can lead to an over dose, risk for hospitalization all of these issue may be avoided if the veteran qualifies for a care giver. The qualifications need to extend to veterans with PTSD, mental health issues such as memory loss, uncontrolled diabetes suffering with neuropathy affecting ability to open medication bottles, inability to administer insulin injections or taking oral medications. Poor decision making can lead to inability to manage income, pay bills maintain his or her safe living conditions, cook, clean, or drive to medical appointments, causing to inability live a comfortable lifestyle after serving USA ! Furthermore, the criteria must help more disabled veterans and their families. In conclusion I had to stop working outside our home, to take care of my spouse and keep him safe.
My husband is 100 percent disabled. He needs me to cook food, help him clean himself, help on and off toilet. Cant do bills im guessing cause the meds hes on effects his memory. He falls often. Not able to leave him alone. They turned me down for the care giver saying his range of motion is fine, which it so isnt. But thats the reason they gave. They need to do something with the program.
I hope the program will allow a spouse to be a caregiver, I am a Disabled Veteran and my wife has caregiver experience that would be beneficial to my care.
I believe the program doesn’t allow this at this time.
I have found the process too invasive into my private life. My wife quite her job as a Cytotechnologist in 2004 to care for my needs at no pay or support from any source. I suffer from combat trauma having served as a Marine Combat Hospital Corpsman in Vietnam (1967-68). I now have been diagnosed with presumed Agent Orange lung cancer. Although I have applied for assistance, I do not appear to meet there “need requirements “ and I do not wish to expose myself or my wife to unnecessary and invasive questions. This is my complaint.
I am adding an additional comment to agree with another comment. if a veteran is rated 100% permanent and total, there should never be a re-assessment of my caregiver claim. my husband has several VA rated disabilities. 2 rated disabilities are independently rated at 100% P&T for separate and distinct anatomical body parts. Considering his disabilities are severe and by VA definition last until his death, why would the VAMC feel the need to make someone go through all of the claim non sense again for this program and unnecessarily put stress on families?
I also have reported to the Huntington WV VAMC several times that I am my husband’s caregiver but no one at the vamc has reached out to me to help me in any way.
Everything the VAMC does exacerbates my husband’s conditions and I am the one who is always there to fix it. There is no accountability for bad employees, bad health care and this trickles down into caregiver claim applications. For example, my husband had a psychologist that told him for his therapy to go out into public places at busy times. my husband was harming himself doing this and the huntington WV vamc laughed at him and put him on their disruptive patient committee 2 times without my knowledge as his caregiver. this made my husband suicidal. The Huntington WV VAMC conspired against me with my caregiver claim based on knowlege of my husband speaking up for himself.
Instead of providers putting patients on disruptive patient committees and not allowing the patient to defend themselves and making them suicidal, create a system that allows patients and caregivers to hold employees and providers accountable for their actions and let veterans and caregivers take part in imposing adverse action against vamc employee. you will never have fair and honest caregiver claim decisions with biased, uneducated, and vindictive employees.
I am a a 100% disabled retired veteran in which is the caregiver for my wife of 35 years. She is dealing with cancer and dementia and had been deemed unable to medical decisions on her on from her psychiatrist/Provider. Is there any support i can receive from the VA to assist me with home care.
Hello, this is great and positive news. Veterans are highly appreciated and respected as we would not be living in Freedom if not for them. Veterans and care givers deserve the best services that we can offer to our heroes. Many veterans have developed mental health and addictions due to lack of support. I look forward to hearing more about the program moving forward. Thank you
That is a lot of colledge speak we don’t understand out here in flyover country! We get the impression that every time we figured out how the system works, you change the rules!
I am a 90% disabled Vietnam-Era veteran. After I was encouraged to apply (LARO), and did get a DBQ completed by her doctor; I was told I was not authorized A&A for my disabled wife, and therefore could not leave her to look for work, or shop, etc., etc., etc.
I respectfully desist from venting further.
What about World War II Veterans? My father is a WWII veteran and as his Son I’m not eligible for caretaker benefits. How about fix that.
I didn’t know about the Caregivers Support Program until my husband had finally received 100% disability in January 2023. If I had known earlier I could have done more to help give him the best care.
Then I broke my elbow and wrist on 8/31/2024 and CSP told me I qualified for respite so I could have outside help for him.
At age 86 and being a disabled Navy veteran of 10 years, it has been a long journey to get disability benefits and proper care for him. I wish the whole process was easier. He enlisted at 17 and proudly served his country, but he feels like he was shortchanged in support after his enlistment ended.
I’ve been denied twice for cafs. I was informed that there’s not enough emergency documentation to support an approval. My daughter is currently assisting me with my showers, toilet,dressing medication cooking and driving at night….what can be done to improve the qualification for family caregiver support…
I agree with the proposed changes. I think it’s time for CSP rules to be updated for disabled veterans and the caregivers who have to shoulder all the responsibility. Need to make it less stressful for caregivers.
I vote to approve the changes to the CSP they are needed as current rules do not fit for disabled veterans and there caregivers;
These two are a move in the right direction.
Require fewer reassessments: Under the proposed rule, VA would reassess eligibility less frequently, lowering the burden for Veterans and their families.
Clarify eligibility: New criteria would expand and clarify the basis on which a Veteran may be determined in need of personal care services for six continuous months.
VAMC employees should NOT be making the decisions on these! There is far too much bias involved at the local clinics (ask me how i know)! This is the main reason my husband refuses to even attempt this program, though it is needed. I had to quit my job to be his caregiver. Greatly reducing our monthly income.
I do believe that the program is needed and should be expanded and clarified for maximum usage by ALL veterans and their caregivers. Especially these recipients of 100% and Vietnam veterans not just a select few. However, the current requirements being unclear and fear of lowering a veterans ratings by some disgruntled local VAMC employee writing a bad report is a HUGE issue.
To simple decide that a Legacy particapant should be removed is wrong! Look closely at the veterans needs, and make informed decisions, not sweeping changes. Stop treating veterans like money hungry parasites too be humiliated, spoken down to, and threatened with arrest if they don’t cow down to VA staff. Remember the VA values “I Care” Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. At least we as caregivers actually DO care about veterans.
I am 84 years old and 100% disabled. My wife is a blind invalid. We need the halp of a caregiver, yet my effort to have
my caregiver paid and assisted in my care and helping me care for my wife have been denied.
Why does the VA refuse to help disabled veterans?
I feel that a caregiver of 10 to 18 years 7/24 a day deserves spouse support, really after death to one we care so much for ,did all ,clean house, clean them ,up all hours of the night,3 meals a day ,their entertainment , we put as much into their lively hood as immediate family and some have no family,and to walk away with no support , the veteran I cared for supported me financially, hard to get work, we’ve been out of the work force for so long , It’s hard ,our lives revolved around them every day,After their death what direction do we have ? He would have wanted me to get survival pay ,I did the work. That’s something I’d like to see addressed, We do more than (some) wives that receive this benefit , that’s not fair to the loyal caregivers.
I luckily had a chance of meeting a wonderful Marine Veteran who became a gf to me. I say luckily because she would never leave her home. So I met her through an old friend. Trust is hard for her. So I noticed strange things being depressed, anxious, and whoa I mean panic attacks daily. I vote to change the CSP. I looked at the 90% denial rate.
I finally after 5 years, have figured out how to calm her. It’s like a small heart attack she tells me. But I bathe her, help cook, do just about everything for her but because I don’t put a piece of food in her mouth we were denied. Her diagnosis is PTSD 100% and she is 42. It used to say differently om the CSP site. It put us in a financial predicament.
She has not been able to have any sort of life since 22. I keep her as stable as I can. She always knows God sent me to her or she would have nobody as her young adult children had a hard time understanding her depression when they were young. And of course she wants them to live. I can’t hold a job because we were turned down because they didn’t want to take away her independence. She never any independence anyhow. Without me she just would not go anywhere. Or even eat anything except rice. So the fact that she puts food in her own mouth we were denied. She doesn’t tell her doctors about her hallucinations. Because the ward is a way more depressing place. She can’t walk but for very long due to excruciating back pain. She is having experiences of Rhematouid or MS. We will find out but she is pretty set in the way she wants things…a bit cranky. So I know that she will not take anybody to help her but me. But she needs and deserves this program. As all of them do. They took care of us and I believe that they should be taken care of too. Their bodies were ruined many of them. So let’s help disabled Veterans.
My husband is 100% disabled as a result of Agent Orange in Vietnam. It took us 10 years to “prove” that he was in Vietnam and through the help of the DAV and a lawyer and payroll stubs that my husband kept we were able to finally prove that he was in Vietnam. Now for 3-4 years we have been trying to get the bathrooms and bedroom upgraded because he is now wheelchair bound and has difficulty getting into the shower to bathe. Because he can feed himself and dress himself I have been denied being his caregiver. He cannot cook, cannot handle bills, cannot maintain our home or property, cannot drive (I have to take him to all appointments). If I’m not a caregiver, I don’t know what the hell I am. He served his country and was exposed to Agent Orange and as far as I’m concerned the U.S Government owes him and me (because Agent Orange has robbed him and me of our so-called “golden years” together. We’ll see how many more years the VA can deny him and me (his caregiver). Soon the Vietnam vets will all be deceased and they won’t have to deny anymore!!
We were denied the monetary portion of the Caregiver Program because the program didn’t feel my wife symptoms were not severe enough. My wife suffers from severe depression, anxiety, migranes, incontinence, balance, memory and safety issues. I manage her medications, finances, and keeping her safe. We were denied the monetary portion of the program because they felt she wasn’t totally dependent in selfcare. However, my wife does need total assistance at least six months out of the year. It appears that the program does not care about the safety, impaired judgement and memory and the toll it takes on the caregiver financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually and the impact on the relationship and quality of life. I Challenge the decision makers to spend one day in our shoes then maybe they won’t be so quick to deny those who really need the assistance.
Have being in this program for quite a few years now, I remember the stress we had to go through to make sure we we’re doing everything right, the rudeness of customer service the lack of any help and being treated like we we were looking for a hand out and like garbage at the Mather VA so much horrible treatment caused a stressed induced seizure in the behavioral health building at Mather VA ,where the VA did nothing for me I seized for approx 9 1/2 minutes waiting for a ambulance , the ED was no more than 600 ft away and NOT ONE NEUROLOGIST or ER DR came over to help… 9 1/2 min. That was the day I lost all hope for the VA health care if they couldn’t run 600 ft to help a (me spouse) with CHAMPVA or veteran I knew we were in for an uphill battle with the lack of compassion, care, and to do no harm. Feel free to ask for the video of that day and you will see the lack of consideration, the rudeness from workers and the lack of compassion . One this is where the breakdown begins between patient ,caregiver and Dr. The lack of training for these people who make the appointments for our Veterans kills, when you have a vet come into the ER screaming for help don’t put them in a broom closet or make these men and women wait out in the waiting room for 8 hours check the video tapes. I have witnessed this on several occasions and witnessed this through trying to get help for my husband . Sometimes a Valium can do enough to get them thinking straight ,I’ve been told there is a Pysicatrc dr on call at all times in the facility to find out it’s a lie. As a legacy caregiver I have had to pay out of pocket for care for my husband thank goodness for the stipend or we would not have been able to pay the bill.
The lack of mental health is so absurd for a person who went to a foreign country to see and kill young children , men, and women. The VA drops the ball and thinks every 90 days for 45 min is acceptable, this is not .
Also I have several concerns about how someone who never saw war never thought they wouldn’t see their family again can get a 100% and then get the highest Tier in this program. I have heard people laughing about how they really don’t need the program but the money is free. I have overheard and have had conversations with people who said no I really don’t need it but I went ahead and applied for it saying they were told what to say and how to act.
Also how can a Veteran get a 100% be able to work 40+ hours a week qualify for this program. My Veteran Marine can not work. He is unemployable. We rely on his checks while I have to find a job so we eat and have a little extra money. The way things are being evaluated is absurd, more research into the people asking for this program would be who we all are. I get called manic , crazy , rude , someone who will holler at someone when lacking in their job. I have gotten to a point that when I need help I have to call a senator or a congressman. This program has been abused by a lot of younger veterans who never went to an immediate danger zone or war and some of our other Veterans. The lack of investigating such as going through the veterans medical record is appalling. How can someone just say they have this and that but their medical record has no record of it.
The program wants to expand so they’re going to cut off the legacies. That’s ridiculous talk, you need to look a little closer at that . Most of the things you want to do have been done and have been unsuccessful. It’s time to start talking to those who actually use and need this program.This program is blinded by the sight that people would rather have people feel sorry for them and get free money and welfare instead of working.
We have busted our butts working your program with little change except the fact more people are signing up for this program and we’re being left behind. Sounds like a Vietnam Veteran all over again. We are still waiting on his claim about burning toxic waste human feces , I have pictures of this. I have pictures of my husband standing within feet of biological warfare. And yet here we are legacies and you guys are dumping us, without the VA doing its job. And you guys want to expand and drop. Makes no sense to me or a lot of other people.
I have a lot of ideas and thoughts about this program that I’am truly grateful for. Any contact you would like to have would be nice but very unlikely it will happen.
ok holds up you want to cut legacy caregivers and their service members off, am I understanding that right? I have way ro many things to ask and comment on. Like the lack of care at the VA for mental health you have a 0.4% success in preventing suicide and now you want to cut off legacy how many more are you willing to put on welfare, just how many people fooled the VA and this program to have to have these cuts and less care. Feel free to call or make a appointment with you I ll give it to straight . Maybe hearing in person what the real people who struggle are needing. Rual area help, mental health …
Veterans also should continue to be paid during appeals until all appeals have been exhausted. Reviewers ignore medical physicians, they cherry pick one sentence and alter the meaning behind it. If those at 100% disability P&T could be fixed in a week at a hospital, they would be, but this is not the case for any of them, and that is why they re rated 100% P&T, and in many cases, they have had a second adjudication and upholding of that rating at the 10 year mark, which only upholds the reasoning that they need the caregiver program, and why. However, the boards ignore that information, and they make decisions outside of it. This needs to stop. Especially for those on the program for supervision and protection needs. Veterans need protections, families need protections, caregivers need protections, and Legacy definitely needs protections because they have been very much harmed over and over with denials and attempted removals despite still qualifying and no change in the veteran from when they first started on the program, and if changes occurred, they are only worse in their condition. We need to do better by our veterans and their families. And this is a first step in doing so.
Veterans on Legacy should be allowed to stay on permanently, especially if they are 100% P&T rated and their disability they are rated for is why they are on the caregiver program. Families are too often “kicked out” for unethical reasons upon reassessment, ones that would absolutely need to be appealed and which would cause undue harm to the veteran and their families. These put the veteran at risk of harm or death in the meantime as well, and this is a very large concern. Our veteran caregivers for these families already receive far lower amounts of pay than they were making before however, they take this pay reduction in order to stay home and care for their loved one 24/7 in order to make sure that they are safe/healthy/alive/and that they have the least restrictive environment possible that still allows them to be with their loved ones. Reassessments put stress and strain, ignore medical advice from VA physicians, outside physicians, disability reports, and many other documents; in the end stating things that put the veteran at great risk and bodily harm just to remove them from a program that they desperately need in order to make sure that they stay alive. This is integral for our veterans, caregivers, and would greatly reduce the burden on the CSP team as well. I truly believe that those on Legacy should be grandfathered in to this program, or at least those on Legacy who are 100% P&T and on the caregiver program for their specific disability as it is not expected to change and they are expected to need the same level of care or higher for the remainder of their lives; again, understanding that this program is meant to help the veteran, it is also meant to make sure to reduce outside costs such as facilities, hospitalizations, care costs, and more, because a caregiver is far less expensive than any of those costs. So, when a veteran would need a higher level of care if they did not have their caregiver with them 24/7, they would cost the VA much more in those fees, so the VA is spending far less in paying the caregiver in order to help these veteran families, and it is actually a cost savings as opposed to spending more. That is why I propose that Legacy stay on grandfathered in for no further re-assessments, or like I stated, Legacy that are 100% P&T at a minimum.
1. Huntington, WV VSMC has very un-informed employees that are not trained or smart enough to know how to make informed decisions about caregiver claims. They do not know anything about due process. I don’t think they know anything about claimant’s rights with VA claims. For example, I was told my caregiver claim was approved and I was told about all of the benefits I would receive under this program. When my husband and I reported to an in person interview, and after seeing a white veteran with black spouse caregiver, the Huntington wv Vamc sent a letter that said “status of my claim changed to denied”. Their letter implied that my claim was once approved. They also didn’t take into account that I am a licensed nurse practitioner reporting that I take care of my husband’s physical and mental needs. Help tie his shoes, cut his toe nails, manage his medication, manage his safety, supervise his life.
2. The Huntington wv vamc and the VISN above them know nothing about this program regarding the mental health aspect like supervision, safety, management of veteran’s life
3. The direct appeals process to DC is horrible. Other than claim update status on VA’s website, there is no way to be informed of my claim. The appeals process is also extremely slow. My original date of claim is October 2020 with my appeal November 2021. Why does this process take so long?
4. Please clarify with examples of mental health conditions that qualify someone for caregiver claim. Clarify the standards about getting approved based on the mental health aspect of law.
5. Train VAMC employees on standards for va claims. For example, if VAMC employee is going to promulgate a claim, then they need to know what a VSR at a regional office knows about processing claims. It actually might be a good idea to stop letting VAMC employees work these claims.
6. Train VAMC employees to understand the VA regulation that states the weight of evidence in a VA claim favors the veteran.
7. What is the standard or specifically how does the VA determine if a caregiver is level 1 or 2 stipend. Their decision seems to be subjective and left up to the racist and often times biased employees
For example, I work during the day but I also work at night and weekends supervising and managing my husbands health. How would the VAMC rate my time taking care of my husband?
8. There should be some type of bias testing with employees making decisions on caregiver claims. For example, when I reported that I am a nurse practitioner, some employees attitude to me changed like they were jealous of my situation. I know the VA has employees that think va compensation is free money and I know there are Huntington wv vamc who intentionally (mental health employees Linda Pennington Denise Harris director Brian Nimmo, patient advocates conspired to harm and or arrest my husband after he spoke up to them about his concerns about my caregiver claim. The VAMC should not retaliate against anyone for calling them out for being wrong and should not exacerbating my husband’s mental health.
9. I’m still waiting on my appeal that’s over 3 years old. I’m assuming if my claim is granted or remanded that this will take several more months for a VAMC employee to finish my claim. This is what I’ve heard from others who have applied.
Why would this be? How can you streamline these claims to get fast decisions? Considering the Huntington wv vamc only had 800 employees a few years ago and now has about 1600, va should hire and train people just to streamline these claims
As a participant of the PCAFC program I was notified I no longer qualified though the decision was to not take me off until Sept. 2025 when final decisions were made. I have to say that I was insulted when my letter said anything a loved one or friend would do for the veteran didn’t count. I would take care of my husband in any way possible regardless of a stipend. As a veteran who served his country this is a benefit we deserve, and I feel I served as well. My husband has many health issues including short term memory-hand trimmers to name a few. There is no way he could make it alone. As far as friends his depression has isolated us from just about everyone as he doesn’t like to be around people. I was in the hospital for 3 days and my daughter and granddaughter had to take off work to be with him. Neither of them could afford to quit their job if something happened to me.I can tell you if something happened to me, he wouldn’t make it. I hope you consider all these things when making your final decision
I think that this would be a good thing to do. My husband is a gulf war veteran and I am the main caregiver for him, I applied and was denied due to the incompetent social workers who did not know what they were looking at. I think this needs to reevaluated and made more accessible to caregivers that need it.
How will the proposed changes to the PCAFC address the systemic gaps in understanding Gulf War Illness—a condition treated like an uncharted island by much of the VA? Despite affecting thousands of Veterans, Gulf War Illness remains largely ignored, as if the system only has a map for well-trodden territories like PTSD or physical combat injuries but no compass for navigating the complex symptoms of this condition.
For Gulf War Veterans like me, living with this illness is like being stranded on that uncharted island. The symptoms—chronic pain, fatigue, neurological issues—are real, but the VA’s response often feels like being handed a boat with no oars. Beyond the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC), which serves as a lighthouse in a sea of misunderstanding, the VA lacks skilled personnel to recognize, assess, and treat Gulf War Illness. This lack of expertise has led to misdiagnoses and denials of critical support, including caregiver assistance.
My wife, who is my caregiver, has been the lifeline keeping me afloat. She manages everything I can no longer handle, yet her application for caregiver support through PCAFC was denied because Gulf War Illness doesn’t fit neatly into the VA’s limited definitions. It’s as if the VA has a keychain of pre-cut keys but refuses to forge a new one for conditions like mine, leaving caregivers and Veterans locked out of essential programs.
Will the proposed updates serve as the new compass for Gulf War Veterans, ensuring that the VA maps out clearer pathways for support? Specifically, how will the changes expand eligibility criteria to account for overlooked conditions like Gulf War Illness and address the glaring lack of expertise among VA staff, which has left too many Veterans and caregivers adrift?
I hope the VA recognizes that ignoring these systemic gaps is like building a bridge with missing planks—it leaves too many of us and our families falling through the cracks.
Alan,
I completely agree with you. How can the VAMC make informed decision on a Caregiver Claim when their employees including staff and providers know little to nothing about gulf war illness? For example, the VAMC put on my husbaand’s problem list as being exposed to toxic substances but told him there was no need to do anything further considering he has several gulf war presumptive conditions. The VA needs to expand their eligibility requirements and provide to the public specific examples of what makes a caregiver eligible for this program and do not leave it open to arbitrary interpretation from an uninformed biased employee. Also, do you agree with the following: If a veteran if rated 100% P&T why would the caregiver ever need to go through a another assessment of their claim?
Hi Kim! I am not Alan but I agree with you. 100% P &T should NOT be reevaluated, especially when they are receiving SMC (Special Monthly Compensation) as part of their rating. The VA already knows these veterans are seriously injured and are needing extra assistance anyway. They will NOT GET better in the future. But the local VAMC’S and CBOC’S put the fear of God in them that if they or their caregivers advocate for them they will make sure the veteran losses their rating. Local VAMC’S AND/OR CBOC’S should not be making these decisions! This is a CLAIM just like another ratings claim and should be made by someone not associated with the veteran and who understands VA criteria for those disabilities.
Expand the program, remove local interaction with the claim, and clarify the process for Veterans and their caregivers.
All those seem like great ideas.
CSP program has big flaws. Veterans live in different parts of the world after serving, part due to family support, or returning to their countries of origin. Any veteran living outside of the United States is not qaulified for this program. I reside in my birth country in West Africa because I did not have family support in the United States to cope with my mental health. I was denied the program and I told that to qualify for CSP, I must return to live in the US. This is unjust. The program must cover veterans no matter where they live in the world.
I’ve commented
We as veteran think about all our comrades. It’s called selfless service. A doctrine that was ingrained in us from basic training. Your husband should tell you not to only think about one person. No one is left behind. The program must benefit all veteran regardless.
This program has helped me to keep my husband home & not going to a nursing home. My CSP team has saved my life too. The stress & physical toll on me has been great. CSP is saving my life. My husband has Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s & severe ptsd. He’s a Vietnam combat Vet, 80 yrs old. I’d like to see more of a stipend for cases like my husband. He is terminal & requires 24/7 care & supervision. The VA is saving allot of dollars by keeping these severe Vets at home.
yes———would/could avoid being told to go to emergency
I am a 71 yr old woman veteran. Because I cannot afford dental care I used my jewelry pliers and pulled my own molar. I haven’t been to a dentist in years. I’m hoping you give us some help with this problem. Even if it’s once a year.
As a 70 year old Vietnam Nam Service related disabled veteran (72 to 76) I wish to be a part of this ruling by contributing if I can. Stephen E Lawrence UNITED STATES SUBMARINE SERVICE (SS-568 USS HARDER. Veterans all over need to be taken care of instead of illegals looking to vote to stay her getting benefits up to $4,000 a month better than what I get from being asked to serve my country and I did. TIME has come to change things to get veterans their due.
I am a Vietnam War Veteran, with a 100 percent disability based on wounds received in combat and a severe case of PTSD. Yet, my caregiver, who’s essential to my care, was rejected for the program. Frankly, I was surprised and disappointed with this decision.
I DO agree that the VA should not have to reevaluate the veteran/caregiver as often as they have in the past. That is a lot of paperwork and meeting time for the case workers to accomplish. We just completed the last “meeting” by video chat, and that was pretty easy. I was a little worried that I would not be able to figure out how to get connected, but it was so easy!!!
Yes, the outside services that give your caregivers a really not that good they I’ve had them twice and twice. I asked them to leave and I had a family member come down to stay with me to help me and she could not pay because she was not on the rolls. It’s really difficult when they have family members are good friends taking care of a three or four hours a day they should get compensated yeah OK, thank you very much
Outside care givers are not relatives with connections to disabled veterans. This program must allow veterans to choose their caregivers. Families and friends will care much for their disabled veterans than some random person who is just doing this as any regular job.