UPDATE June 8, 2018
Earlier this week the President signed into law the “VA MISSION Act,” a bill that will extend eligibility for VA’s comprehensive caregiver assistance program to veterans severely injured before September 11, 2001. The approval of this legislation marks an historical expansion of the VA caregiver program and is a huge leap forward towards providing fairness to all veteran caregivers. It took years of debate, collaboration and finally compromise, but soon thousands more catastrophically injured veterans of all eras—and their caregivers—will become eligible for critical programs and services that they were once denied. While we will continue this fight in the years ahead to ensure that no veteran or unsung hero is left behind, this was a major victory and we couldn’t have done it without advocates like you.
For the latest updates on caregiver news and information, visit our caregiver resource page.
Ray & Pat
Dempsey
Dennis & Donna
Joyner
Alexis & Jason
Courneen
Brad & Donna
Barton
Dave & Yvonne
Riley
Mary Ann
Keckler
MEET AMERICA'S UNSUNG HEROES
No
Children
Over
18
Under 12
12-18
THE UNSUNG HEROES INITIATIVE
Family caregivers are one of the most critical components of a severely disabled veteran’s recovery and rehabilitation, helping them live to their highest potential. Yet the American public is largely unaware of the sacrifices these men and women make on a daily basis.
The Unsung Heroes Initiative is DAV's national campaign to bring awareness to the selfless service of the nation's veteran caregivers, as well as the many unique challenges - and in some cases, inequities - they face.
Who cares for America's severely disabled veterans? According to DAV's 2017 Veteran Family Caregiver Survey, the following breakdown represents the makeup of today's veteran caregiver population.
4% have been a caregiver for 1 year or less
How long caregivers have served
84.3%
female
15.7%
male
91.2%
female
8.8%
male
Gender (Pre-9/11)
Gender (Post-9/11)
