Improved VA Caregiver Support Program

This September, VA announced expansion of the caregiver support program in accordance with section 161 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018.

Under the act, VA will expand the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers to all eligible Veterans, in a phased approach. Currently, this specific program is only available to eligible Veterans seriously injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.

Before the expansion, VA needs to upgrade its IT (information technology) systems and implement other improvements to strengthen the program.

By when are the changes expected? 

Currently, VA does not accept applications for the comprehensive assistance for family caregivers’ program for Veterans, other than those seriously injured in the line of duty on or after 9/11.

The first phase of the announced expansion will commence once the Secretary has certified that VA’s new caregiver information technology system is fully implemented. This is expected around the summer of 2020.

As a result, VA will begin accepting applications in 2 phases –

• In the first phase, applications of eligible Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975, will be accepted.
• About 2 years later, in the final phase, the program will also include eligible Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty after May 7, 1975, to September 10, 2001.

Expansion of the IT system

To modernize the caregiver IT system, VA is adopting a 3-phased approach.

• Deployment of the new system – based on a commercial off-the-shelf product, CARMA (Caregiver Record Management Application) from October 2019.
• Phase 2 (January 2020) – Centralization and automation of stipend payment calculations
• Phase 3 (Summer 2020) – Caregivers will be able to apply for benefits online

Services offered by VA for all caregivers

VA provides a whole range of services for caregivers. This includes –

• Training
• Education
• respite care
• telephone support line
• self-care courses

These are available to caregivers for Veterans enrolled in the VA health care, regardless of when or how they were injured.

Caregivers in the VA comprehensive assistance program would also receive –

• monthly stipend
• beneficiary travel
• mental health counseling
• enhanced respite services, and other benefits

How is VA improving the caregiver program?

Recently, VA has developed or amended 14 SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to clarify program requirements for VA staff, increased oversight in each Veterans Integrated Service Network, provided training and education to staff and caregivers, and is boosting operational capacity by hiring more staff.

In addition, the VA is –

• Establishing a campaign to integrate caregivers into the health care team, through education modules about topics, such as, the role and impact of caregivers
• Expanding telehealth services to enable Veterans and their caregivers to get care in the comfort of their homes
• Providing a toolkit for caregivers and family members and their role in the prevention of suicide
• Promoting self-care for caregivers through text messaging
• Increasing self-care courses for caregivers
• Providing home and community-based care alternatives through the Choose Home Initiative at 21 VA medical centers

To learn more about workers compensation claims in-home care and transporter and coal miner home health care, call CNS (Critical Nurse Staffing) at 877-259-9001.

About This Author

Critical Nurse Staffing Joined: July 30th, 2019