Supporting Military Caregivers
MILITARY CAREGIVERS
Many of the clients Rebecca works with at Stable Ground Counseling are military affiliated. Rebecca is a military family member with a husband in the Army Reserves.
In addition to therapy at the farm, she contracts for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation (EDF) as a mental health consultant. Her work focuses on supporting the Foundation in improving and bolstering the mental health supports for their caregivers. When I learned about her work with EDF it got me thinking…do I really know what a military caregiver is? I don’t have a ton of military connections and to my knowledge haven’t met any military caregivers…so I started doing some research. I was also able to speak with Traci Ratliff who has been a military caregiver for her husband for ten years; and got her perspective on what it is like caring for a former service member. To begin, I first needed to figure out what exactly a military caregiver is, and what they do.
WHAT IS A MILITARY CAREGIVER?
There are 5.5 million military caregivers in the American population. These individuals are the people who care for our country’s wounded, ill or injured veterans. Military caregivers are spouses, family members, friends and even parents who take on managing care, doctor appointments and sometimes financial responsibilities for a current or former military service member. The wide range of responsibilities sometimes includes everything from assisting in dressing and bathing, patient advocacy, and helping them cope with emotional difficulties. Contributions of military caregivers help to improve the overall quality of life as well as the recovery and rehabilitation process for the veterans that they care for. Traci Ratliff described her role of caregiver as a true honor; to care for an American hero and assist in his integration back into civilian life.
WHY DO MILITARY CAREGIVERS NEED RESOURCES AND ASSISTENCE?
A RAND study on military caregivers found that all caregivers are in some way adversely affected by the duties and responsibilities that they take on. These effects include things such as an increased likelihood of depression and other negative health outcomes; low productivity and problems at work; distressed relationships; and increased financial difficulty. Many caregivers also do not feel as though they have a strong, or any form of support system. These individuals are four times more likely to be depressed than non-caregivers.
Traci described her role as everchanging and extremely difficult at times. While her role in the past few years has become a bit easier, her transition from wife to caregiver was not an easy one. After her husband’s third and final deployment, Traci decided to quit her job and become a full-time caregiver to her husband. She reported feeling invisible at times and feeling as though she had no idea where to go for adequate help and resources that she and her husband desperately needed.
The same RAND study found that the best ways to assist this population is to empower caregivers with education, health coverage and greater public awareness of their efforts. Planning for the future is also needed to account for the everchanging nature of caregiver needs as well as the needs of future caregivers. In order to reduce the time spent caregiving and in turn, improve the quality of life for caregivers; it is important to fill in the gaps of existing programs. Extending eligibility and increasing availability of care are just a couple great ways to do so. Traci expressed her concern for caregivers that may be unable to advocate for their service member and the lack of resources that were available when she became a caregiver herself. Support groups such as the VA Caregiver Group and the EDF Hidden Heroes are two great ways that caregivers are able to reach out for assistance. Counseling resources are also a huge help to those who struggle with the transition to be a military caregiver.
HOW WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO HELP –
Since 2017, Rebecca has been contracting with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to support initiatives aimed at supporting mental health of America’s military caregivers, Hidden Heroes. This work is deeply connected to the core mission of Stable Ground Counseling and we are excited to continue to care for those who give so much to Americas wounded, ill and injured service members.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic Rebecca was hosting a FREE military 2caregiver, support group and hopes to get back to hosting it again very soon. While clinical support is valuable, Traci mentioned that simply having someone to talk to, was a game changer for her. An easy way for an anyone to support a military caregiver is to first identify them; and then validate their experience by listening and providing opportunities for breaks and validating the complexity of their role.
I know that for me, I will put effort into finding military caregivers in my community and try to lend a helping hand. When I joined the team here at Stable Ground Counseling I was eager to learn more about what Rebecca does for the community, and I am excited to do my part as well.
I encourage you to reach out to military caregivers in your community and provide the support that is needed however you can.
Thanks for reading!
~Haley