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The Department of Veterans Affairs Helping Caregivers Take Care of Themselves (Part B)

Finding Time to Manage Your Own Health When Working with Veterans

While keeping up with veteran health details is important, you also need to keep up with your own health. Don't neglect your own doctor appointments, medical checkups and personal health. If health insurance is a concern because you had to quit working to care for your family member, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be able to help.

If your loved one goes through regular therapy or treatments for his or her conditions where sessions may take a few hours, take this time as an opportunity to do things for yourself. Many VA clinics allow patients to be dropped off and picked up by family members, so you can take care of personal needs during that time.

Also talk to friends and other family to see about getting occasional help with chores like grocery shopping, housekeeping and other details. Some tips for freeing up a little more of your own time include:

• paying bills online;
• organizing errand lists to minimize travel time;
• shopping at one-stop stores (Target, Walmart, etc.);
• buying bulk to reduce the amount of shopping trips; and
• keeping organized lists of veteran health details for other caregivers.

One of your most powerful resources for you and veteran health is the Internet, not only for conveniences, but also for support and answers from others who are working with veterans in their own families.

Your Personal Life Needs

In many cases in which a loved one returns from duty with disabilities or serious injury, he or she may require a family member to be there for round-the-clock care and living assistance. This doesn't mean you have to give up your own life entirely.

Some caregiver benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs allow for stipends for a few days of "rest" where outside help can come to take over for a family caregiver.

One of the best ways to help find more security in your caregiving situation is to help your veteran family member apply for disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. With this additional financial and health security you can make your life working with veterans much easier.

You Have the Power to Help a Disabled American Veteran!

Medical evidence is a critical component in the successful fight for veterans' disability benefits. Unfortunately, many veterans lack the financial resources to obtain an independent medical exam (IME) that can provide this crucial evidence.

At Care for Disabled Veterans we focus on connecting qualified veterans to doctors and health care facilities that provide IME services for disability claims. We are a non-profit organization that relies on donations to help provide the funding necessary to obtain these records and help disabled American veterans qualify for combat-related disability benefits. Request our free guide for veterans and caregivers or contact us today to learn more - 1-877-617-2170.

Want to make a difference in a disabled veteran's life? Give a secure online donation to Care for Disabled Veterans. Or call 1-877-617-2170 to contact us directly. Order our free veterans and caregivers guide to learn more about who we are, what we do and why we care.

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