Each year, March celebrates America’s hidden heroes: the behind-the-scenes men and women—often family members or loved ones—who work so hard to take care of veterans who can no longer take care of themselves.
In recognition of Month of the Military Caregiver, we wanted to highlight a few programs geared toward these ever-important members of society. We hope you find the information useful.
Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support
Many of the VA hospitals in Texas offer support to family members who take care of veterans living with conditions brought on by war, disability, chronic illness and aging. You can find more information on programs at a VA hospital near you by clicking one of the following links.
• Dallas: VA North Texas Health Care System
• Houston: Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
• Temple: Central Texas Veterans Health Care System
• San Antonio: South Texas Veterans Health Care System
VA resources over the phone:
• Caregiver support hotline: (855) 260-3274—Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern/ Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern
• Coaching into Care: (888) 823-7458—offers strategies on talking to veterans about health concerns and treatment options
U.S. Department of Defense Caregiver Support
The U.S. Department of Defense offers a caregiver support course online. The forum takes place the first and fourth Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Click here to sign up or learn more.
American Red Cross Caregiver Program
The American Red Cross offers a caregiver course that covers nine educational topics on the matter. The program deals with such issues as home safety, personal care, healthy eating and even legal and financial concerns. Click here to learn more.
The American Red Cross also operates the Military and Veteran Caregiver Network, which offers peer-based support and services to those of the veteran and military community. The network provides access to support groups, resources, mentorship programs and an online community. Click here to learn more.
Easter Seals Caregiver Training Program
Easter Seals offers an hour-long online caregiver training session that covers such topics as depression and hearing loss. The class is also offered in Spanish. Click here to learn more or sign up for a class.
Blue Star Families Operation Family Caregiver Program
Blue Star Families offers a caregiver program aimed at the families of newly returning veterans to help them adjust to the “new normal.” The program emphasizes coping mechanisms to help deal with stress. Click here to learn more.
As a company that supports America’s heroes, Veteran Energy knows how important our country’s military caregivers are. And we also know they sometimes look past their own needs in order to care for others. But we hope they’ll remember to take care of themselves. Here’s to you, caregivers.
