By the Numbers - March 11, 2013
275,000 to more than one million
The number of "men and women who are caring or have previously cared for wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans," according to a new study by the RAND Corporation, Military Caregivers: Cornerstones of Support for Our Nation's Wounded, Ill, and Injured Veterans. That seems like a wide numerical range but, RAND says, nobody know for sure exactly how many military caregivers there are, and the actual number may be higher.
RAND points out that most research on family caregivers has focused on those caring for elderly people with chronic diseases. However:
Military caregivers are spouses with young children, parents with full- and part-time jobs, and sometimes even young children helping shoulder some of the burden. Government services available to this population are in their infancy; community service organizations offer diverse services but they are generally uncoordinated.
RAND says:
- Research is recommended to explore how caregiving needs of veterans and wounded service members change over time, how these changes will be met in the long-term, how decades of serving as caregivers affect military spouses, what happens when the care giver can no longer meet their loved one's needs, and the long-term effects on child caregivers.
- Proposed research includes a comprehensive needs assessment of military caregivers, a formal environmental scan of resources available to military caregivers, and a gap analysis to identify where there are sufficient resources and where there is opportunity for improvement.
275,000 to more than one million
The number of "men and women who are caring or have previously cared for wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans," according to a new study by the RAND Corporation, Military Caregivers: Cornerstones of Support for Our Nation's Wounded, Ill, and Injured Veterans. That seems like a wide numerical range but, RAND says, nobody know for sure exactly how many military caregivers there are, and the actual number may be higher.
RAND points out that most research on family caregivers has focused on those caring for elderly people with chronic diseases. However:
Military caregivers are spouses with young children, parents with full- and part-time jobs, and sometimes even young children helping shoulder some of the burden. Government services available to this population are in their infancy; community service organizations offer diverse services but they are generally uncoordinated.
RAND says:
- Research is recommended to explore how caregiving needs of veterans and wounded service members change over time, how these changes will be met in the long-term, how decades of serving as caregivers affect military spouses, what happens when the care giver can no longer meet their loved one's needs, and the long-term effects on child caregivers.
- Proposed research includes a comprehensive needs assessment of military caregivers, a formal environmental scan of resources available to military caregivers, and a gap analysis to identify where there are sufficient resources and where there is opportunity for improvement.