Help for family members who take care of Veterans

Veterans Affairs (VA) has a "Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers." You may qualify for help if you and the Veteran you are caring for meet all of these requirements. 

Eligibility requirements for the family caregiver

You must be at least 18 years old. And at least 1 of these must be true for you:

• You’re a spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member, or extended family member of the Veteran, or
• You live full time with the Veteran, or you’re willing to live full time with the Veteran if we designate you as a family caregiver

Eligibility for the Veteran

All of these must be true for the Veteran you’re caring for:

• The Veteran has a VA disability rating (individual or combined) of 70% or higher, and
• The Veteran was discharged from the U.S. military or has a date of medical discharge, and
• The Veteran needs at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services

What are personal care services?

These are services the eligible Veteran needs from another person. They include care or assistance to support the Veteran’s:

• Health and well-being
• Everyday personal needs (like feeding, bathing, and dressing)
• Safety, protection, or instruction in their daily living environment

How many caregivers can the eligible Veteran appoint?

The Veteran can appoint:

• 1 Primary Family Caregiver (the main caregiver), and
• Up to 2 Secondary Family Caregivers (people who serve as backup support to the primary caregiver when needed)

If you qualify as a family caregiver, you can get:

• Caregiver education and training
• Mental health counseling
• Travel, lodging, and financial assistance when traveling with the Veteran to receive care

You may also qualify for:

• A monthly stipend (payment)
• Access to health care benefits through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA)—if you don’t already qualify for care or services under another health care plan. Learn more about CHAMPVA.
• At least 30 days per year of respite care for the Veteran