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Balancing Your Life to Care for Handicapped Vietnam Era Veteran (Part A)

It's not uncommon to find a family member of handicapped veterans taking on the role of caregiver. Especially with an aging Vietnam-era veteran, this family support can be a huge boon to health and well-being. However, there are times when we find veteran caregivers have difficulty balancing their lives and their responsibility to family members.

When You Find Veteran Caregiving is Impacting Your Life

Some of the conditions an aging Vietnam-era veteran can suffer from are serious and can require near round-the-clock care. When your focus is on caring for your loved one, it's often easy to neglect your own needs and desires. Some of the warning signs that you're spreading yourself too thin include:

• feeling run down;
• not getting enough sleep;
• becoming sick more easily or frequently;
• have feelings of depression or exasperation;
• experiencing sudden mood swings; and
• becoming prone to sudden outbursts of anger.

It's not just physical damages that can result from a lack of balance in your life. Your personal relationships can suffer as well if you're not getting enough time to do what you want or need to do. If you find yourself constantly skipping social events because the needs of any handicapped veterans in your care are more pressing, you're not achieving balance in your life.

Do not despair! There are ways to learn to balance your personal life needs and still care for a family member such as a Vietnam era veteran. There are support services for caregivers available through the VA and organizations like Care for Disabled Veterans. Through donations, we are able to assist the families of handicapped veterans in getting the proper exams for veterans' disability benefits, which is one of many ways you can help promote balance in your life between caregiving and personal health.

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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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