1. Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Program Update
Michael Kilmer, LCSW
Chief Consultant , Care Management and Social Work Services
Patient Care Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
June 24, 2014

2. Caregiver Support Program
Mission Statement: To promote the health and well-being of family Caregivers who care for our nation’s Veterans, through education, resources, support, and services.
Allow Veterans to remain at home in the community
Address specific needs of Family Caregivers with a menu of programs and services
Promote Veteran & Caregiver health and well-being
Provide one location to obtain needed information
Provide training & information on common conditions
Reduce isolation with professional & peer support
Provide options to give Caregivers respite
Sensitize health care providers to the Caregivers’ role

3. Menu of VA Services to Support Family Caregivers
In-Home Care Skilled Nursing Home Health Aide Home Based Primary Care Veteran Directed Home & Community Based Care Services to Address Mobility Issues Equipment Home Modification Automobile Modification Education and Training Core Curriculum Self-Care Courses Financial Support Aid and Attendance Caregiver Stipend (Post 9-11) Information and Referral Caregiver Web site: Caregiver Support Line:
Caregiver Support
Support Groups
Caregiver Support Coordinators
Peer Support Mentoring Program
Building Better CaregiversTM
Respite Care

4. Caregiver Support Coordinators
At all VA Medical Centers
Clinical experts on Caregiver issues
Knowledgeable about VA and non-VA resources
Assist with application for new benefits
Organize Caregiver focused activities and services
Ensure Caregiver sensitivity is integrated into all programs
Provide National Caregiver Support Line follow-up
Establish programming for National Family Caregiver Month in November
Caregiver Support Coordinators, located at each VA medical center, serve as the program champions, shepherding Veterans and Caregivers through the application process for the new services, and providing support and resources to Caregivers of Veterans of all eras.
As of October 2013, there are a total of 225 CSC’s in the field 180 of these CSC are SW’s and the rest are RN’s. We do not have and Psychologists at this time.

5. Caregiver Education, Training, and Support Expanding Evidence-Based Interventions & Best Practices
Resources to Enhance All Caregivers Health VA (REACH VA)
Designed to provide education support, and teach problem-solving for Caregivers of Veterans with Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia
Currently being expanded to Spinal Cord Injury /Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Mental Health
Spouse /Caregiver Telephone Support
Groups of Post 9/11 spouses meet with a VA clinician to learn problem solving skills, resiliency training, and to receive support
Currently being expanding to broader audience
Building Better CaregiversTM
An interactive, web based workshop developed by Stanford University and provided in partnership with the National Council on Aging (NCoA)
Peer Support Mentoring Program
New Caregivers are matched to more experienced Caregivers
These are programs available to Caregivers of Veterans from all eras
REACH= Resources for Enhancing All Caregiver’s Health – staff trained at more than 125 VA facilities
Spouse Telephone Support groups – staff trained in 100 VA facilities – currently being expanding to include content for other era Veterans
Building Better Caregivers – more than 2,000 Caregivers have been referred and more than 200 caregivers are participating in an active on-line community
Peer Support Mentoring – close to 150 Caregivers have participated – exploring new ways to provide peer support such as a one-time interaction and a speaker’s bureau of caregivers

6. www.caregiver.va.gov Caregiver Outreach Caregiver Support Line
More than 130,000 calls received
Averaging ~ 200 calls per day
Caregiver Website
List serve members = 38,000+
Average visits per day = 830
Pages viewed per visits = 3

7. Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers - Eligibility Criteria Overview
Veteran or Servicemember undergoing medical discharge incurred or aggravated
a serious injury in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 (includes
Traumatic Brain Injury, psychological trauma or other mental disorders).
and
Veteran or Servicemember requires on-going assistance from a Caregiver for
a minimum of 6 months to:
Assist with the management of personal care functions required in everyday living;
Significantly enhance the Veteran’s or Servicemember’s ability to live at home safely; and
Support the Veteran or Servicemember’s potential progress in rehab.

8. Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers - Eligibility Criteria Overview (contd.)
and
The serious injury requires another person (a Caregiver) to assist the Veteran with the management of personal care functions required in everyday living because of one or both of the following:
An inability to perform one or more Activities of Daily Living including dressing and undressing, personal hygiene, grooming, toileting, feeding oneself, mobility, or a frequent need of adjustment of a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance
A need for supervision, protection, or assistance based on symptoms or other impairments or injury including seizures, difficulty with planning and organizing, safety risks, difficulty with sleep regulation, delusions or hallucinations, difficulty with recent memory, or difficulty with self-regulation
**Note: there are additional criteria beyond what is listed here.

9. Primary Family Caregiver Supports and Services
Stipend
Direct payment to primary Family Caregiver
Centrally funded and managed
Based on wages of a home health aide in the geographic area where
the Veteran resides
Tiered based on amount and degree of personal care services
provided
Health Insurance
Civilian Health and Medical Program VA (CHAMPVA)
Travel and Lodging
Integrate into existing programs
Mental Health Services
Individual/Group psychotherapy and counseling
VA or by contract 9

10. Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Update*
Applications filed: 31,130
Approved Applications: 15,900
Tier 3 – 6,121 (national average $2,320 per month)
Tier 2 – 6,078 (national average $1,470 per month)
Tier 1 – 3,701 (national average $610 per month)
New Healthcare Coverage enrollees: 4,115
Veteran Demographics:
26% are Service Connected for TBI
70% are Service Connected for PTSD
*Data from May 9, 2011 to June 9, 2014

11. Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Caregiver Education and Training
Standardized Core Curriculum
Developed in collaboration with Easter Seals
In-person, workbook/DVD, or web-based
Includes modules on:
Caregiver Self-Care
Home Safety
Basic Caregiver Skills (vital signs, etc)
Providing Personal Care
Managing Challenging Behaviors
Resources (legal, financial, VA, community, advocacy)
Training Data Update:
More than 20,000 Family Caregivers have completed training to date
Future training will focus on web-based courses & workbook /DVD training.