DAV Magazine — January/February 2018
Continuing the fight for caregivers on Capitol Hill
It is hard to believe half a year has passed since we gathered in New Orleans for the 96th DAV National Convention. You traveled from across the country to join forces and lay the groundwork for yet another successful year for our beloved organization. While the stage we set in the Big Easy was important, I implore each of you to continue amplifying the critical voice of our mission Feb. 25 to 28 at the 2018 DAV Mid-Winter Conference in Arlington, Va.
Each year, we convene at midwinter to ensure our legislators are keeping the promise to veterans. In 2017, with the backdrop of a new president, Congress and VA secretary, we made our voices heard on VA health care reform, parity in services for women veterans, and appeals and claims reform. Perhaps most impactful was the call for equal access to caregiver services and supports for veterans of all eras.
We continued to address the disparity facing too many veterans and caregivers at the Unsung Heroes Initiative kickoff in June, but the fight continues. The battle is so essential—and one that I know quite well. I am a proud Army veteran, but you may not know that I carried the important title of caregiver for many years, as well.
It was at the 2000 DAV Mid-Winter Conference where I met my dear husband Jimmy, a fellow veteran. We had a wonderful life and made it through the tough times together—until Jimmy became sick, facing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Suddenly, I was thrust into the role of caregiver. I did my absolute best with the limited resources I had. I worked tirelessly to bring as much money home as I could while his needs continued to grow more expensive.
I wanted to keep Jimmy at home, but as his illnesses progressed and I grew older, that was no longer possible. It broke my heart to move him into the VA medical center. I visited as much as possible. I paid to have him taken out of the hospital daily so he was not confined to a chair, staring, in front of a TV all day. To me, it still was not enough.
Had Jimmy served after 9/11, I could have been eligible for services and support through the government. Then Jimmy could have spent the rest of his life where he belonged—at home with me.
Not only would it have been less expensive for taxpayers to keep him at home, but it would also have been what he wanted.
I know my story is not unique. There are too many veterans and caregivers being left behind because of an arbitrary date on a calendar. We must fight to extend these essential benefits so other veterans and caregivers do not suffer the way Jimmy, I and too many of you have.
Please join me at the mid-winter conference and at our culminating event on Capitol Hill as we fight for caregiver benefits, along with other essential issues impacting veterans and their families.
Each year, we convene at midwinter to ensure our legislators are keeping the promise to veterans. In 2017, with the backdrop of a new president, Congress and VA secretary, we made our voices heard on VA health care reform, parity in services for women veterans, and appeals and claims reform. Perhaps most impactful was the call for equal access to caregiver services and supports for veterans of all eras.
We continued to address the disparity facing too many veterans and caregivers at the Unsung Heroes Initiative kickoff in June, but the fight continues. The battle is so essential—and one that I know quite well. I am a proud Army veteran, but you may not know that I carried the important title of caregiver for many years, as well.
It was at the 2000 DAV Mid-Winter Conference where I met my dear husband Jimmy, a fellow veteran. We had a wonderful life and made it through the tough times together—until Jimmy became sick, facing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Suddenly, I was thrust into the role of caregiver. I did my absolute best with the limited resources I had. I worked tirelessly to bring as much money home as I could while his needs continued to grow more expensive.
I wanted to keep Jimmy at home, but as his illnesses progressed and I grew older, that was no longer possible. It broke my heart to move him into the VA medical center. I visited as much as possible. I paid to have him taken out of the hospital daily so he was not confined to a chair, staring, in front of a TV all day. To me, it still was not enough.
Had Jimmy served after 9/11, I could have been eligible for services and support through the government. Then Jimmy could have spent the rest of his life where he belonged—at home with me.
Not only would it have been less expensive for taxpayers to keep him at home, but it would also have been what he wanted.
I know my story is not unique. There are too many veterans and caregivers being left behind because of an arbitrary date on a calendar. We must fight to extend these essential benefits so other veterans and caregivers do not suffer the way Jimmy, I and too many of you have.
Please join me at the mid-winter conference and at our culminating event on Capitol Hill as we fight for caregiver benefits, along with other essential issues impacting veterans and their families.
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