Who cares for the Caregiver?

2022-08-15T17:04:23-04:00

Balancing the demands of a military career and family life is challenging enough. But if anyone in your household has special needs that require extended caregiving, the additional stress and workload can be overwhelming.

If you are in this situation, the natural tendency is to devote all your time and energy to personally provide the best level of care possible. However, very quickly, emotional stress and physical exhaustion can not only reduce the effectiveness of your caregiving but also have a negative effect on every other aspect of your life.

Recognizing this problem, the DoD's Exceptional Family Member Support Program is providing resources to help military families find Respite Care Services to give family caregivers time for themselves to go to an appointment, run errands, or simply have time for yourself.

Choosing the best respite care for your unique needs

If you feel that respite care might benefit you and your special needs family member, begin by exploring all the various options for respite care and decide which scenario will work best for both of you. The first thing to consider is how often and how long your respite care help will be needed. This can range anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. Respite care can be arranged daily, weekly, or as needed. The next thing to consider is where the care for your special needs family member will be provided

· In your home - through an agency or a caregiver you find and train yourself. This approach has the advantage that everything your family member needs is already there. You also don't need to worry about transportation.
· In the caregiver's home - it may be easier to find a caregiver if they can work at their home. It may also allow you to stay at your home during your time off from your caregiving responsibilities.
· In a facility - a hospital or residential facility may have equipment and staff suited to the specialized needs of your family member.
· At an adult day center, school, camp, faith-based, or volunteer agency - these types of programs and services can offer your loved one more stimulation by exposing them to new people, experiences, and surroundings.

Finding Respite Care A good place to start is at Military OneSource.
They have an excellent portal for respite care resources. (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/special-needs/support-for-families/respite-care-special-needs-families/)

Some of the resources listed include:
· Child Care Aware (https://www.childcareaware.org/fee-assistancerespite/exceptional-family-member-program-efmp-respite-care/) - This organization has partnered with the military services to provide respite care to families with children up to the age of 18 who have special needs and are enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program.
· Your state’s Lifespan Respite Program, if available (https://archrespite.org/lifespan-programs). Lifespan Respite Programs are run by state agencies to provide community-based respite for family caregivers.
· The National Respite Locator. (https://archrespite.org/respitelocator/respite-locator-service-state-information-map) This online tool can link you to information on respite funding and caregiver supports in your state.
· State Respite Coalitions. (https://archrespite.org/state-respite-coalitions) These membership organizations represent people with disabilities. Some of these organizations provide training and respite vouchers.

Funding for Respite Care You may find help paying for respite care by exploring what is offered from the following resources:
· Child Care Aware provides respite care to children of eligible military families enrolled in EFMP.
· TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/SpecialPrograms/ECHO/EHHC) offers a respite care benefit to eligible military families.
· Medicaid waivers (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/special-needs/support-for-families/medicaid-waivers-for-military-families/) cover the cost of respite care if your family member qualifies. Check with your state’s Medicaid office to learn more. Find the Help You Need

Your installation’s Exceptional Family Member Family Support can help you with many aspects of caring for a family member with special needs, including navigating respite care. You can also schedule a special needs consultation 24/7 by calling [login to see] or through live chat. If you’re overseas, view international calling options.

Find the help you need.

Respite Care for Special Needs Families • Military OneSource

Military families with members with special needs can explore respite care options, such as in-home or at a facility, for a few hours or daily.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2022 11:31 PM

2022-08-15T23:31:10-04:00

Thanks for the share.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Aug 16 at 2022 2:19 PM

2022-08-16T14:19:36-04:00

Thanks for sharing.

Response by PFC Thomas Toth made Aug 17 at 2022 9:46 PM

2022-08-17T21:46:04-04:00

Trying to communicate with the VA can be very difficult by phone. I wish there was a different way to get a hold of representatives. Thank you.

Response by PFC Anne Lymburner made Aug 17 at 2022 11:12 PM

2022-08-17T23:12:42-04:00

I'm 100% disabled army veteran, cared for my elderly father, who died Feb 2022. Few years back I saw my local VA had CAREGIVER support. I called hoping for help. IS YOUR FATHER A VETERAN? Well, NO, I'M THE VETERAN AND I NEED SUPPORT. Can u believe the help was ONLY for caregivers of VETERANS. I wasn't eligible

Response by PFC Anne Lymburner made Aug 17 at 2022 11:17 PM

2022-08-17T23:17:43-04:00

Sorry everyone, topic hit raw spot.

Response by L Selden made Aug 17 at 2022 11:39 PM

2022-08-17T23:39:37-04:00

I was a caregiver for my husband, a Vietnam Veteran, 100% disabled, cared for at home and was on oxygen. I found that if I planned carefully and thoughtfully, especially with the Covid issues, we could do "respite trips" by taking a trip every so often. It meant that I did all the packing of equipment, medications, etc. and driving (2 trips were 14 hour days), but the trip away from home and going either to the mountains or beaches where we had traveled before was so restorative to us both and gave us both a sense of adventure, even with his limitations. He passed in May and our last trip was in March, a picnic in the mountains where we used to take our sons camping and gold-panning and he recalled those moments well!

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made Aug 18 at 2022 9:09 PM

2022-08-18T21:09:42-04:00

Not Long Ago, I Asked My Health Care Worker What Her Wages Are...
She Only Came In For 2 Hours Per Day, 3 Day's Per Week.
Her Gross Income Was $13.00 Per Hour.
Since That Time, I've Been Increasing Her Wages On A Regular Basis.
Nobody Should Have To Work For $13.00 Per Hour, No Matter Their Occupation.

Response by SP5 Renee Reif made Aug 22 at 2022 7:05 PM

2022-08-22T19:05:00-04:00

I have 7 in my household right now, 2 adult sons with disabilities, my disabled sister, and my diabetic niece. I see things for the caregivers who are caring for veterans, but what about veterans who are losing their minds caring or others? The tornado that is my household includes Medicaid waivers and some day programming, but resources for the day to day with adults are limited.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2022 12:04 AM

2022-08-24T00:04:11-04:00

Thanks for sharing a nice post! The first thing to do if you and your special needs loved one are considering respite care is to find out what options are available. Determine how often and for how long you will need to give respite care as a first step. A few hours to a few weeks are both possible here. Care may be provided on a daily, weekly, or as-needed basis, providing a much-needed break for primary caregivers. Now comes the difficult part: picking a care center where your special needs family member may get treatment: https://dordle.io

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Response by Cadet SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2022 2:39 AM

2022-08-25T02:39:43-04:00

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Response by SPC Gary C. made Aug 25 at 2022 4:36 AM

2022-08-25T04:36:17-04:00

Thanks for sharing

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Sep 6 at 2022 8:27 PM

2022-09-06T20:27:53-04:00

Life is also a journey within itself.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Sep 18 at 2022 4:48 AM

2022-09-18T04:48:43-04:00

thanks for sharing.

Response by SFC Gary Erwin made Nov 12 at 2022 1:57 PM

2022-11-12T13:57:29-05:00

I sure hope EFMP as gotten better. They did absolutely NOTHING for one of my sons with needs.