Caring for Veterans

Seriously injured veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are not getting the benefit of a family caregiver program enacted in May 2010 because the Department of Veterans Affairs hasn’t yet completed even a plan to implement the program.

That’s unacceptable.  I’ve joined 17 other senators in urging the VA Secretary – Eric Shinseki – and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget – Jacob Lew – to immediately complete these plans.  Efforts to implement the program need to get under way ASAP.

As it stands, family caregivers are not receiving the intended benefits of the veterans caregiver program, including instruction and training in the provision of care, respite care, technical assistance, counseling, and a living stipend for those who must give up jobs or work limited hours to provide care to loved ones.

To make matters worse, support from the Department of Defense for caregiver services for veterans is dependent on the VA program's being in place and is being held up until this new caregiver program is under way.

There’s no excuse for allowing bureaucratic delays to get in the way of much-needed support to family members caring for seriously injured veterans and service members.