ARTICLES / General /VA
Benefits - A Little of the Old... /
Other ArticlesBy Trish Hughes Kreis, Staff Writer
Recently enacted legislation has also brought
long-awaited help for caregivers of veterans.
Changes in the VA benefits for post 9/11 veterans
include numerous services for both veterans and
their caregivers.
Where do I start? There are two
ways to get information about the services you
may qualify for. Visit the US Department
of Veterans Affairs Web site for caregivers at
www.caregiver.va.gov. Also, the
toll-free VA Caregiver Support Line at
855-260-3274 provides assistance and operates
every day except Sunday.
Who is eligible? Eligible
veterans must have sustained a serious injury in
the line of duty after 9/11 and must need
assistance for one or more personal care
activities due to neurological impairment or
injury. Veterans must also be enrolled for
VA health services (if you are not already
enrolled, please visit
www.va.gov/healtheligibility/application to
enroll now).
What services are available? Numerous
services, as well as monetary assistance, are
available once eligibility has been established.
These include a monthly stipend (early
applicants have already started receiving their
checks this month). Also, money is
available for travel expenses while accompanying
veterans to appointments for care and treatment
(including a per diem allowance and lodging).
Mental health services and counseling are
available as is caregiver training (which is
provided by Easter Seals, a leader in caring for
the disabled). Another service available
is respite care which would allow a break for
the caregiver by providing a professional
caregiver to care for the veteran for up to 30
days per year.
How do I apply? To see if you
may qualify, please visit
www.va.gov/healtheligibility/caregiver to
answer four brief questions. At the end of
the questionnaire, you will be directed to the
full application. The application for
eligibility can also be directly accessed at
https://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/Form/10-10CG.pdf.
Caregiver Support Coordinators are available at
every VA medical center to assist with the
application process and to answer questions
about the benefits available as well as the
application process itself. Additional
assistance is available by calling the toll-free
number 877-222-VETS (8387).
What happens next? Within three
days of filing the initial application, the
Caregiver Support Coordinator will arrange for
the veteran’s caregiver to complete the
application and will coordinate the caregiver
training. An assessment will be done to
determine the veteran’s needs and what
assistance is needed with daily living
activities. The caregiver then completes
the training. They even have training
available (either online or through a self-study
book and DVD) which can be completed at home.
Caregivers know it can be difficult to leave
their loved one for even a short amount of time,
so this home study option is an example of how
well thought out the program is. There is a
home visit after the training and once that has
been completed and everything has been approved,
the monthly stipend will start arriving. For
those who applied soon after this program
started in May, the stipends were already
arriving in July. The earlier you apply,
the quicker the benefits will be available.
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