Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. BEGICH, and Mr. UDALL of New Mexico):

S. 543. A bill to require a pilot program on training, certification, and support for family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces to provide caregiver services to such veterans and members, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in the Spring of 2007, I met a 27-year-old Army Sergeant named Eric Edmondson. Eric was injured while serving in Iraq. During surgery to treat his injuries, his brain was deprived of oxygen for a period of time, and is now seriously disabled. It has been my honor to get to know Eric and his family. I am humbled and inspired by their shared struggle, pain, triumph and sacrifice as they have worked to help Eric recover as much mobility and independence as possible.

Today I am introducing the Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009, along with several other Senators. This bill proposes a program that would provide technical, financial and practical support for families like Eric's, families who are now caring for a veteran or a returning servicemember whose disability requires institutional or home-based care.

The first version of this bill was introduced in the last Congress by then-Senator Hillary Clinton. She already knew what many of us are now learning. Families all across the country are figuring out how best to care for returning servicemembers and veterans who are coming home with serious disabilities. We are recognizing that these families need more support than what most of them are finding.

This bill lays out a strong family caregiver support program. The program is for those seriously disabled veterans and servicemembers who have a family member willing and able to provide care at home. We want to recognize that sacrifice, which probably involved a significant loss of income, and the value of the care they are providing. So the program addresses four key concerns--training and certification, payment for services, respite care, and, finally, mental health and social support services.

The first step is to provide training for those family members who become a primary caregiver for a seriously disabled veteran or servicemember. It is common for family members to have some informal training, but we should formalize that. Figure out what training caregivers need and make sure they receive it. From changing burn wound dressings to wheelchair transfers, caregivers need the skills and knowledge to offer high quality, home-based care. The bill I am introducing today calls on VA and DoD to develop and offer training and a certification program for family caregivers.

We also need to pay for the services these trained and certified family caregivers provide. Amount of payment would be determined by the VA and DoD based on the amount and level of care required for each participant. Costs would be paid by VA, with DoD reimbursement to VA for services benefiting servicemembers. It is only fair that care provided by family caregivers, care for which the government would otherwise be responsible, is acknowledged. Qualified family caregivers are often forgoing other income, even while providing a service of real value.

Respite care is another important part of this program. Caregivers need time off. They deserve time off. VA and DoD have respite care programs, but they are underutilized because the programs are inflexible, waiting lists are long, or providers are not available nearby. That is especially true in more rural areas. In this bill, we provide for an alternate caregiver to be trained and certified who can fill in for the primary caregiver as needed. We've also asked the VA to study further options to improve the availability of respite care.

Finally, our bill directs VA and DoD to provide mental health services to family caregivers when those needs are related to the provision of care. For example, depression is almost twice as likely among caregivers as it in the general population. The caregiver program would provide an assessment of the caregiver's needs and referral to relevant services if necessary.

Members of the armed services came forward and served when duty called. As many as 6,800 of them have come home from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars unable to perform daily functions or live independently. Now it is time for the U.S. to come forward with support for those who are able to live at home because a family member is willing to provide the care they need.

The sacrifices these family caregivers make are substantial, and can greatly affect their long-term well-being. Most have to give up their jobs outside the home, relinquishing health and retirement benefits and future earning power in the process. It is not uncommon for a family to move across the country in search of the best care for their injured loved one. We owe it to them to provide assistance as they care for their loved ones, who are our heroes.

A strong family caregiver support program also makes good economic sense. Right now, families are providing the care that VA and DoD have a responsibility to provide, but the families bear the cost. Because these families are providing care without payment or support, the costs of the care is made invisible to VA and DoD.

The VA recognizes the economic benefits of providing preventive care to veterans, and acknowledges that informal caregivers are an important source of providing such care. A recent VA study notes that ``providing supportive services to caregivers will most likely help reduce the care costs for patients ..... as they will require less use of emergency care, institutionalization, and VHA services, while also improving caregiver and patient outcomes.'' Finally, support programs for caregivers keep the veteran with his or her family, delaying the day VA will be obligated to provide more expensive institutional care.

In testimony before Congress in 2007, Donna Shalala, as co-chair of the Dole-Shalala Commission, stated: ``many families are caring for their injured servicemember at home--and many of these servicemembers have complex injuries. These families, forced into stressful new situations, don't need more anxiety and confusion, they need support. Families are unprepared to provide 24/7 care. Those that try, wear out quickly.''

We have an opportunity to step up to ensure that veterans can have the best care possible in return for their service to our country. Many of those who have been seriously injured in Iraq or Afghanistan have families who have made enormous sacrifices to provide care. We owe these families a helping hand to ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to provide the best care for their--and our--veterans.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record

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