Unaddressed needs
While there are some benefits available to family caregivers, their needs still largely are unaddressed and unknown. This lack of support is something former North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole witnessed firsthand when her husband, former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, was hospitalized for an extended period of time at Walter Reed about 31/2 years ago.
“While I was going back and forth to Walter Reed, as I became a caregiver myself, I learned so much about what was happening with the wounded warriors and their family caregivers, and it was an incredible thing for me to see what they were going through — and this was while they were still hospitalized before going home,” Dole says. “It becomes much more challenging once you’re a caregiver in the home and possibly the only person who is knowledgeable, and who is trusted, and who is available to provide care 24/7.”
In addition to the challenges caregivers face, Dole observes the organizations willing to provide support and services also face significant challenges because there is no comprehensive research accounting for the unique and specific needs of military and veteran caregivers. As a result, countless organizations have expressed an interest in the empirical data outlining the needs of caregivers so they can use this information as a roadmap for developing their own plans to address the gaps in services.
“ He went from being such a strong, independent guy to not being able to feed himself — and that’s a tough emotional transition for everybody."
— Rachel O’Hern
Speaking with caregivers, as well as with the organizations that wish to support them, made it clear to Dole more information about the plight of military family caregivers is essential to help them. This ignited a passion in her that led to the creation of The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness about military family caregivers and empowering organizations that want to support them.
To that end, the foundation commissioned a comprehensive, evidence-based study from RAND Corp. to find out what military and veteran caregivers need, what resources are currently available to them, and how effective those resources are in meeting the needs of these families. In addition, RAND researchers will provide a gap analysis and use the data they collect to make recommendations on how best to serve military caregivers — which Dole believes will be a cornerstone for a national strategy addressing the concerns of wounded warriors and their caretakers.
“This is a societal problem, and there are, as I see it, no comprehensive solutions to these enormous challenges without a national response,” says Dole. “We’re working hard to bring together the public, private, nonprofit, and faith communities around this growing national crisis, as it will take all of us working together to truly make a difference for these families.”
Challenges caregivers face
The final RAND study will be unveiled as part of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s National Military and Veteran Caregivers Week, March 24-30, but preliminary findings from the first phase already have outlined a number of challenges to be addressed, including
■ The severity of the injuries. Unlike other family caregivers, military caregivers often are taking care of loved ones suffering from multiple injuries and illnesses, which means they need unique and specialized assistance that might be required around-the-clock for years, even decades. Often veterans also are battling unseen wounds of war, so caregivers have to deal with the ramifications of PTSD and traumatic brain injury in addition to their loved one’s physical injuries.
■ The complexity of receiving benefits. Many caregivers are not aware of what benefits are available to their family.
58 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2014
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