TBI vet caregivers would be eligible for help

Why is this limited to just Iraq and Afghanistan veterans? They did so little for older veterans and their families before this. Since these families have been doing most of the work taking care of veterans from the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and WWII, you'd think they would finally be included in on what is being done to address the needs of ALL caregivers to get some help. While it is good for the newer veterans families, it needs to include all veterans families equally.

TBI vet caregivers would be eligible for help
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 11, 2011 16:20:20 EST
Family caregivers of service members who have suffered traumatic brain injury would be eligible for more support under proposed regulations, Veterans Affairs Department officials clarified Friday.

A caregiver benefits program signed into law in May greatly expands support for caregivers of severely disabled veterans. The most generous new benefits — including living stipends and health care coverage for the caregiver — are provided to caregivers of disabled Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

“We’re very concerned to hear the interpretation that we wouldn’t be covering traumatic brain injury,” said Deborah Amdur, chief consultant for care management and social work for VA’s Veterans Health Administration.

“Without a doubt, it is our intention that those individuals would be included and eligible,” said Amdur, who testified Friday before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s health panel.
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TBI vet caregivers would be eligible for help

Caregivers of Veterans Face Greater Stress

Caregivers to give up a lot to do it and yes, we have to put ourselves aside, but that is what you are supposed to do for family. I am not "proud" to serve taking care of my husband but honored because I am proud of him. He has overcome so much that I wouldn't have missed a day of it. Don't get me wrong, there were times when it seemed almost impossible but looking back now, it is just what I did for my husband and he would have done it for me if things were turned around.

Nov. 10, 2010, 7:00 a.m. EST

Caregivers of Veterans Face Greater Stress, More Years of Care Than the National Average, Yet Are Proud to Serve

WASHINGTON, Nov 10, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The first national study to give a voice to family caregivers of veterans reveals that they are twice as likely as family caregivers(1) of adults overall to consider their situation highly stressful, and yet 94 percent of them are proud to serve.

The study, released today by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and funded by United Health Foundation, finds that family caregivers of veterans face a higher burden of care, both in intensity and duration, often supporting a spouse or partner over a longer period of time than typical family caregivers. These caregivers also are predominantly women (96 percent) compared to the national average (65 percent), and many make sacrifices to their own health and jobs to care for their loved ones.

The Caregivers of Veterans - Serving on the Homefront study is the first in-depth look at family caregivers of veterans and provides unique insights into the effects of caregiving for a veteran on the caregivers' own health, work and home life. The study also provides a look at caregiving across the age spectrum representing caregivers of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"The family caregivers who serve our country's veterans are making huge sacrifices in terms of their own health, careers and home life," said Reed Tuckson, M.D., United Health Foundation board member and executive vice president and chief of medical affairs, UnitedHealth Group. "The data indicate that these 'homefront heroes' are proud to serve in the role of caregiver for their loved ones. Yet it is incumbent upon all of us to help them find support and solutions to preserve their own health and well being, as well as that of the veteran. It is important that relatives, friends, and neighbors seek out opportunities to provide respite and other supportive services to these caregivers."

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Caregivers of Veterans Face Greater Stress

Compassion fatigue -- how to protect yourself

This is great advice in this piece and something I practice all the time. Ok, sometimes not often enough. The post I did about God forsaking me was the result of not doing it often enough.

Not much has changed since that post, but the wondrous thing is that a lot of you emailed me letting me know you care, sharing your own stories, your own faith and it really helped a great deal.

One of the causes behind this blog is to show how we are all really connected. Some hurt but others help. Some are in need, but others give. The problem is when we forget that the really important thing is what binds us together. I don't pick and choose who I help because none of my heroes did. I don't want to get so swallowed up in the political division in this country that everything else vanishes. That hating anyone solves nothing, ignoring the truth and believing in lies makes bad things worse, plus it leaves behind a lot of people the same energy could be used to help. Focusing on what we can do makes a lot of people a lot better off.

It was also about sharing my own joys, pains, frustrations and struggles. That was also the reason I wrote the book. No, no nobility here. I had seen a therapist and was encouraged to write it as a way of healing and helping. Healing me, getting me over the anger I was still unable to move past along with the pain, was the primary goal. If you are a caregiver, it may help you especially if you are dealing with PTSD. Click the link on the side bar back to my website and you can read it in Adobe.

This article says that talking helps, but it's not just about talking, it's about sharing the fact that we are all human and none of us can overcome everything alone no matter how much faith we have.

Compassion fatigue -- how to protect yourself
CNN

Story Highlights
Caretakers can struggle with demands on time, energy and patience
But they can also become overwhelmed if they're too empathetic
That can flood them with other person's pain, leaving them exhausted, angry
Meditate, keep a journal, keep in touch with outside and be unafraid to ask for help
By Tim Jarvis


(OPRAH.com) -- The next time someone dreams up a new superhero, she should be wielding a bedpan. And Kleenex. And playing cards and travel Scrabble.


Caregivers try to be empathetic but they run the risk of taking on the other's stress and depression.

As any of the more than 50 million Americans caring for an elderly, disabled, or chronically ill loved one knows, the task requires superhuman strength and patience -- and loads of compassion.

Given the constant demands on your time and energy -- for months or years on end -- as well as the stress and frustration involved, having large reserves of empathy is crucial.

Yet as strange as it sounds, all that empathy can backfire, flooding you with the other person's pain, and leaving you exhausted, angry, even unable to care anymore. No one likes to talk about these feelings; they seem selfish, shameful, indecent. They take a toll, however -- on both you and the patient. And they're a growing concern among physicians, who have a name for what's happening: compassion fatigue. Oprah.com: Caring for parents, keeping your sanity

"About 6 to 8 percent of physicians and nurses suffer compassion fatigue," says Michael Kearney, M.D., the lead author of a report on the subject published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Unlike burnout, which is caused by everyday work stresses (dealing with insurance companies, making treatment choices), compassion fatigue results from taking on the emotional burden of a patient's agony.

In a way, it's similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, except that the stress is a reaction to the trauma of another. As with PTSD, symptoms include irritability, disturbed sleep, outbursts of anger, intrusive thoughts, and a desire to avoid anything having to do with the patient's struggle.
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Compassion fatigue how to protect yourself

Compassion Fatique Study Should Open Eyes on Combat PTSD

I cut out the part I really want you to read. It backs up what I've been saying about the type of person PTSD usually sets in on. Compassionate, sensitive people. While this article is discussing caregivers of terminal patients, think about the death that surrounds the men and women in the military and then you will have a better idea of why I keep saying the military and the VA are going at PTSD in the wrong direction. Between my two blogs, there are over 15,000 posts and most of them deal with PTSD. What you don't know is that with all of these posts sharing information I think is important, there are thousands more I've read over the years that are not posted. There is only so much room in this brain of mine, so it's impossible to even come close to remembering how many books and magazine articles I've read since 1982. What I believe has come from many years of taking all of this very personally because I've also been with my husband for as long as I've been doing this. I not only study it, I live it. Please do not dismiss what needs to be heard and taken seriously if we are ever going to get this right on PTSD.

'Compassion Fatigue' Drains Some Caregivers
By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: April 03, 2009
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Study of the causes of and signs of compassion fatigue, as well as techniques for managing the condition, has been hampered by the ambiguous definition of it, they said.


It is difficult to differentiate compassion fatigue from similar conditions, such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and vicarious traumatization, they said.


Empathy is central to all of these processes, yet compassion fatigue is a unique kind of burnout that occurs in caregiving professions, they said.


Although some tools have been developed to assess compassion fatigue -- the Compassion Satisfaction Fatigue test and the newer-generation Professional Quality of Life Scale -- there have been few validation studies, according to the researchers.



Workers who are most vulnerable are "overly conscientious, perfectionistic, and self-giving," Dr. Doebbeling and colleagues said.


Sufferers "may feel chronically tired and irritable, dread going to work or walking into a patient's room, lack joy in life, feel trapped, drink more alcohol or overeat, or experience an aggravation of existing physical ailments, such as headache or body aches," they said.


Affected workers may also become more cynical and bored.


Taken together these factors may result in decreased productivity, more sick days, and higher turnover at the workplace, they said.
'Compassion Fatigue' Drains Some Caregivers

Stanford Pilot Program for at-Home Caregivers of Veterans

It's a great idea and they need to stop forgetting about the families that end up taking care of them. Most of the time, our lives really end when they come home wounded. We give up jobs so that we can give them the care they need or end careers so that we can make our schedule fit what works. We need all the support we can get, especially the new generation of wounded. They are battling trying to take care of the kids, helping their spouse and taking on a lot more responsibility they never planned on.

Stanford Pilot Program for at-Home Caregivers of Veterans Seeks ...
Reuters - USA

STANFORD, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are recruiting
participants for a pilot program aimed at improving at-home caregiving for U.S.
veterans. The study will assess the effectiveness of an online workshop that
provides training to at-home caregivers of veterans who suffer from traumatic
brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer`s disease or other forms
of dementia. Veterans who are caring for people with these disorders are also
eligible.

The six-week-long workshop, called "Building Better Caregivers," will train
informal caregivers, such as family members and friends, how to not only provide
better care, but also to manage their own emotions, stress and physical health.
The interactive online workshop will also provide a forum in which small groups
of caregivers can share personal experiences and insights on solving problems,
handling difficult emotions and celebrating milestones. Each week, participants
will be asked to log on at least three times and spend two hours on lessons and
homework.
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Caring for Wounded Warriors Act, S. 2921

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Approves Caring for Wounded Warrior Act Provisions
Published by admin at 8:25 pm under Brain Injury Law, Recent TBI News
On Thursday, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved provisions contained in S. 2921, The Caring for Wounded Warriors Act, S. 2921. BIAA has strongly supported and endorsed this legislation, and several recommendations made by BIAA during the legislative drafting process were incorporated into the bill.
Provisions in the legislation, which was recently introduced by Sen. Clinton (D-NY), would strengthen supports for family caregivers of returning servicemembers with TBI. Specifically, provisions would require two pilot programs to be implemented through the Department of Veterans Affairs, improving the resources available to those caring for returning servicemembers with TBI.

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Canada:Wounded Veterans, Wounded Families

Families of wounded military veterans struggling to cope and make ends meet
6 hours ago

CALGARY — They are the invisible victims of Canada's military efforts around the world.

The families of wounded soldiers released from active duty due to severe disabilities are poorer, less healthy and less socially active, says a study prepared for Veterans Affairs Canada.

It's a growing problem as Canadian soldiers continue to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan and help keep the peace in global hot spots.

Soldiers who can no longer serve in the military receive full pensions, but the University of Alberta study suggests their families still struggle.

A Canada-wide review involved 142 wounded soldiers and 115 of their caretakers and paints a painful picture of what life is like at home.

"I tend to try to be positive, not negative, (but) ... I feel robbed because all our lives he has been ill, can't sit, walk, or stand too long," wrote one of the anonymous respondents.

The soldiers surveyed were between 25 and 65, were suffering full impairment to most of their bodies and were often battling emotional, psychiatric and psychological conditions.

The study found financial pressures and an overwhelming and relentless sense of responsibility for the caregiver.

"You don't dwell on it. You ... try to think of something good every day. You just try to keep going," wrote another woman. A few years ago I had to write a letter to Veterans Affairs and I thought, 'Oh my God. This is my life."'

The report, titled "Wounded Veterans, Wounded Families," revealed high levels of need for the severely disabled veterans and their families, many of whom were also trying to earn a living and raise young children.

"Are they suffering? Absolutely. And suffering in ways that their lives have been changed," said Norah Keating, a professor of human ecology, who co-authored the report with colleague Janet Fast.
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PTSD Common Among Lung Transplant Patient Caregivers

Depression, PTSD Common Among Lung Transplant Patient Caregivers
Sunday, May 18, 2008; 12:00 AM

SUNDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Caregivers of deceased lung transplant patients are four to five times more likely to suffer symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the average person, researchers report.

The findings, to be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on May 19, come from assessing caregivers of all University of Washington lung transplant recipients who had died within the past five years.

"The caregivers we studied had rates of depressive symptoms of 21 percent and of PTSD symptoms of 32 percent, compared to the average in the general population of 6 to 7 percent," study author Dr. Cynthia Gries, of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement. "This suggests that there is a significant burden of psychological symptoms in family members which has previously been unrecognized."

The study also found that family members who perceived that their loved one had either a lower quality of dying and death or poorly controlled pain symptoms were more likely to have symptoms consistent with PTSD.

"Most people don't realize that prior to wait-listing a patient as a lung transplant candidate, a caregiver plan must exist to support the patient through the entire process," Gries said. "That process can be lengthy and grueling for the caregiver as well as the patient, resulting in much higher rates of depression and PTSD symptoms.

Gries said trained counselors who meet with family members could help them cope with emotional and financial issues while reducing the stress put on caregivers.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about post-traumatic stress disorder.

SOURCE: American Thoracic Society, news release, May 18, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051800867.html

About 10 years into taking care of my husband and fighting for his disability, I needed help coping with the frustration and stress. I had to see a psychologist in Salem so that I could vent. I knew what PTSD was and all that came with it but what I didn't have was someone to talk to who knew what PTSD was. At this point, my family was finally coming to terms with PTSD and no longer suggested that we get divorced, but they still were not informed enough to understand what I was going through.

One of my brothers was working with inner city kids, growing up on welfare and trying to get them interested in going to college. He could understand these kids growing up with violence from gangs and guns, but he could not understand what I was going through or my husband for that matter. This caused a huge rift between us and I did not totally forgive him until his early death. I forgave him at his graveside. He was my brother and while we spoke and I still loved him, I could not get past the attitude he held toward me. He told me that he had a degree in psychology and I knew nothing. He said "You didn't even finish college!" as if this prevented me from learning anything. Not only was I fully invested in researching and studying PTSD, as well as the outreach work, I was living with it on a daily basis. I had to turn to a stranger just to be able to talk about all of it.

I wrote the book soon after to provide support and understanding to families just like mine who were not getting any of it from their own families. We often talk about what the person with PTSD and suffering go through but hardly ever speak of the families dealing with all of it as well. Caregivers are forgotten in the whole process. They need just as much help as the patient does.

I tried to volunteer at the Orlando VA hospital to run a support group for veteran's families. I was told they were no longer funding support groups. It seems as if no one at the VA considers the importance of the family providing the bulk of the care for the veterans. As in the piece above, the caregivers pay a price for their love and willingness to take care of their family member. We can understand what all caregivers go through but no one listens to us. We need just as much support as the patient, but no one bothers with us. After all, we are nothing in all of this in their eyes, but we are everything to the patient.