VA Caregiver Support Program

Caregiver Resources by Topic

• For Family Members/Caregivers of Veterans w/Mental Health Disorders
• Service Member Caregiving Resources
• Communicating about Your Needs
• Palliative Care and Bereavement Resources
• Understanding Diagnoses
• Managing Demands, Stress and Emotions
• Maintaining Relationships
• PsychArmor Institute’s School for Military Veteran Caregivers & Families
• Moving Around Safely
• Sesame Street Workshop

Resources & Services for Family Members/Caregivers of Veterans w/Mental Health Disorders 

• https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/families/index.asp 

Service Member Caregiving Resources 

• Caregiver Support Program (CSP) online information and support services(PDF)

Communicating about Your Needs

• Choosing your words: Harnessing the Power of Communication (PDF)
• Starting the Conversation: Advanced Care Planning (PDF)
• Understanding Long-Term Care Options (PDF)

Palliative Care and Bereavement Resources 

• Palliative Care: Improving the Quality of Life for Caregivers and Veterans with Chronic Illness (PDF)
• Bereavement Resources for Spouses, Children,and Family Caregivers of Deceased Veterans or Service Members (PDF)

Understanding Diagnoses

• Alzheimer’s Disease (PDF)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (PDF)
• Dementia
• Managing Difficult Behaviors in Dementia (Fact Sheet)
• Managing Dementia Behaviors: ABC’s for Caregivers  (Video Series)
• Information and Support for In-Home Dementia Caregivers  (Video Series)
• Mental Illness
• Balance in the Eye of the Storm: Self Care When Caring for a Loved One with Mental Health Concerns (PDF)
• Standing on Solid Ground: Finding your Path along the Challenging Road of Caregiving and Mental Illness (PDF)
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (PDF)
• Parkinson’s Disease (PDF)
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (PDF)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (PDF)

Managing Demands, Stress and Emotions 

• Vital Connections: Restoring Balance in the Most Challenging Times (PDF)
• Negotiating the Emotional Milestones of Aging, Illness and Caregiving (PDF)
• Tempering the Tyrant: Finding Anger’s Rightful Place (PDF)
• Stepping into Stillness: Maintaining Your Center of Gravity When Caring for a Veteran Loved One (PDF)
• Finding Comfort in the Healing Gifts of the Season (PDF)
• Preserving Caregivers on the Front Lines (PDF)
• Making my Goals Matter (PDF)
• Good Grief: Finding Hope in the Necessary Losses of Being a Caregiver (PDF)
• Exploring Problem Solving Skills for Caregivers (PDF)
• Creating a Space for You: Caring for a Loved One at Home (PDF)
• Caregiver Self Care: Embracing the Magic in the Moment (PDF)

Maintaining Relationships 

• Family Caregivers Guide to Intimacy (PDF)
• Leaning into Love: Building Strong Relationship Bonds (PDF)
• Quiet on the Homefront (PDF)
• Setting Boundaries: Defining What is Best for You, the Caregiver (PDF)
• Tending Loves Flame (PDF)
• Intimacy Issues with Military and Veteran Connected Couples *  (Course)

PsychArmor Institute’s School for Military Veteran Caregivers and Families - (free self-paced courses) 

PsychArmor Institute’s School for Military Veteran Caregivers and Families* ,  PsychArmor Institutue is a nonprofit that provides FREE education and support to all Americans who work with, live with or care for Servicemembers, Veterans and their families. You can find over a dozen free, on-demand, self-paced, web-based courses by visiting the caregivers and families section of the PsychArmor Web site: https://psycharmor.org/caregivers/* 

The VA Caregiver Support Line (CSL) has partnered with PsychArmor Institutue to develop web-based courses using CSL Telephone Education Groups scripts.

• Coaching a Loved One Into Care* - talk to your Veteran about seeking help.
• Choosing Your Words* - caregiverrs learn to effectively communicate their needs to a loved one.
• Good Grief* - helps caregivers not only learn to cope with a death of a loved on, but also other losses they may grieve.
• Creating a Space for You* - validates the difficulties caregivers have leaving the home and creating their own space.

Moving around Safely

• Driving and Dementia   (PDF)
• Home Alone Alliance *  – Mobility Video Series
• Preparing Your Home for Safe Mobility*
• Getting from a Car to a Wheelchair *
• What to do when Someone Falls*
• Using a Walker or Cane and Navigating Stairs*
• Moving from a Walker to Shower or Bed*

Sesame Street Workshop

Sesame Street For Military Families: Caregiving
http://ssic.org/veterancaregiving*
Coming home from a deployment with visible or invisible injuries is a huge challenge for any servicemember or veteran – especially those with young children in their family. Even beyond the military community, the reality is that most people will serve as caregivers at some point in their lives. These resources remind every caregiving parent and child that they’re not alone, and that asking for help is always a brave thing to do.

Sesame Street Workshop provides the following resources for children in caregiving households:

• Three videos starring Rosita – a familiar face on Sesame Street - along with her Mami and Papi, who uses a wheelchair after an injury.
• A music video that features footage of military and veteran families with an injured parent celebrating their “sunny days” together.
• Two documentary-style videos for adults about parenting after an injury.
• A digital interactive game for children, playable across desktop and handheld devices, plus five printable activities.
• A printed activity book called “My Sunny and Stormy Days,” designed for parents and children to complete together and five printables available for download on the website.
• A series of articles for parents about tackling children’s tough questions, asking for support, and embracing a sense of family togetherness as routines change.

Sesame Street Workshop Military Families Initiative
https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/* 
Sesame Street for Military Families is a free, bilingual (English and Spanish) website where families can find information and multimedia resources on the topics of military deployments, multiple deployments, homecomings, injuries, grief, and self-expression.

In addition Little Children, Big Challenges*   family support services, kids learning sites, and other resources for military children, which help all families of military service build the skills they need to be resilient. Topics include Everyday Challenges, Divorce & Incarceration.

Additional publications on various health topics can be found within the VA Veteran’s Health Library. 

Need Help?

Call VA’s Caregiver Support Line (CSL) at 1-855-260-3274 to learn more about the support that is available to you, and for assistance connecting with the Caregiver Support Team/Coordinator, at your local VA Medical Center.

VA CSL Expanded hours:
      -Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET
      -Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET

Your local Caregiver Support Coordinator is a licensed professional who can support you by matching you with services for which you are eligible, and providing you with valuable information about resources that can help you stay smart, strong and organized as you care for the Veteran you love.

Subscribe to receive email updates and information about VA Caregiver Support Program services.

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