Caregiving: Stressful, isolating but rewarding - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Caregiving: Stressful, isolating but rewarding

Caregivers for severely disabled veterans report a stress-filled and largely isolated life that usually sees their own health and finances suffer — but they also say that what they do is rewarding, according to a new report.

The study, released Wednesday, was produced by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Health Foundation, two nonprofit groups involved in studying health care. It looks specifically at people who are caring for veterans.

In most cases, the caregiver is the veteran’s wife. But many severely combat-injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are not married, and their care is being provided by a parent or sibling.

Among injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, about one-fourth are being cared for by their parents, according to the report.

The report says caregivers don’t get out much to see their family or friends, often ignore their own medical needs, and find a worsening financial situation because they are forced to reduce hours or give up outside work all together.

On a positive side, 94 percent say the care they are providing is fulfilling and that they are proud of what they are doing.

Based on surveys of and interviews with caregivers, the report finds that caring for a disabled veteran is indeed stressful.

One spouse told researchers that after her Vietnam veteran husband became disabled, she quit her job, gave up on plans to go to college, sold their house and moved to the country.

“I got sick, and I watched my sturdy, handsome, tall, proud husband melt before my eyes,” the woman said. “I hated him. I resented him. I was angry, and there was nobody I could talk to about it.”

Compared with caregivers of non-veterans, those taking care of disabled veterans reported they had a heavier burden in helping with daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing and other activities. They are three times more likely to report physical strain from their care.

Sixty-eight percent said they felt highly stressed, compared with 31 percent for caregivers of non-veteran adults.

Among spouses of injured veterans, 74 percent said caregiving is placing stress on their marriage. Among the 30 percent who said there were children younger than 18 in their household, more than two-thirds said they were spending too little time with the children and 57 percent said the children were having emotional or school-related problems linked to the caregiving.

The Veterans Affairs Department and Congress have been working on programs to provide more help to caregivers of veterans, but the survey shows most caregivers are unaware of the programs or would not be eligible for the help.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said Monday in a statement that VA is trying to do more, and that it will sponsor events this month — November is National Family Caregivers Month — to raise awareness and offer help.

The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act, signed into law in May, could provide some relief by providing better training for caregivers, and allowing time off for a caregiver through either in-home care or a short stay in a VA facility for a chronically ill or severely disabled veteran.

VA also is expanding family support services, including counseling, officials said.