skip to page content
Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

Research Topics


Caregivers and Family Support

A caregiver—sometimes called an informal caregiver—is an unpaid individual (for example, a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or neighbor) involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. Formal caregivers are paid care providers providing care in one's home or in a care setting (day care, residential facility, long-term care facility). There are almost 5.5 million caregivers caring for Veterans, and 96% of those caregivers are women. 70% provide care to a spouse or partner, and provide care for an average of 10 years. VA research into caregiving touches on everything from delivery of services to support for caregivers to the impact of policy decisions.

Each section below is populated by a search of the HSR website. Search results are generated based on the search term "Caregiver". Results are updated as new data are available.

VIEW: Citations | Publication Briefs | Studies | HSR Briefs, Reports, Newsletters | Cyberseminars | Videos | Podcasts | Other Resources



Citations

(5 of more than 685 CAREGIVER focused publications)



» View more Citations

↑   Top


Publication Briefs

(5 of more than 23 CAREGIVER focused publication briefs)


  • VA-GRACE Program Effectively Supports Aging Veterans and Caregivers But Does Not Reduce Readmissions
    The Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) program is a collaborative, multidisciplinary care model that provides home-based geriatric care management. This study evaluated VA-GRACE from its implementation (2010) to 2020 in terms of its effect on mortality and readmissions – and examined patient, caregiver, primary care provider, and VA-GRACE staff satisfaction. Findings sho...
    Date: August 29, 2022
  • Examining the Investment in Caring for High-Needs Patients
    Since 2013, VA has invested more than $22 million in fostering and testing interventions within patient-centered medical homes at five demonstration sites to improve care for Veterans at highest risk for hospitalizations or death. In this commentary, VA authors involved in this project, known as the VA PACT Intensive Management program, reflect on lessons learned about improving care for this popu...
    Date: September 10, 2021
  • Veteran-Directed Care Adds to Options for Medically Complex Veterans Living in the Community – Without Raising Costs
    One way in which VA facilitates independence and supports caregivers is through the Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) program, part of VA’s Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care Services. VDC enables enrollees to hire family members, friends, or neighbors as paid caregivers and also provides caregiver support, including caregiver training and burden monitoring. This study evaluated the incidence of VA ...
    Date: June 1, 2019
  • VA Experience with Implementing Intensive Primary Care Programs for Veterans at Highest Risk
    This case study describes VA’s experience with implementing intensive primary care programs, as well as the program elements that appear to be necessary to meet the complex care needs of these high-risk Veterans. Findings showed that the PACT Intensive Management program (PIM) has been successfully implemented for more than three years at five demonstration sites in the VA healthcare system. The P...
    Date: October 25, 2017
  • Impact of Comprehensive Caregiver Support Program on VA Healthcare Utilization and Cost
    The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) supports caregivers of Veterans from the post-9/11 era who need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) or supervision or protection because of the residual effect of injuries sustained during their service. A monthly stipend is provided to caregivers based on Veterans’ care needs. In this study, investigators examined...
    Date: April 1, 2017

» View more Publication Briefs

↑   Top


Studies

( 5 of more than 61 CAREGIVER focused projects )

Project No.  Title  PI  Funding Start   
CDA 22-008 Maximizing the Value of VA Homemaker/Home Health Aide (H/HHA) Services to Veterans, Caregivers and VA: Supporting Older Veterans'' Pathways to Stable H/HHA Care Franzosa, Emily 2023-07-01
CDA 21-161 Family-Centered Co-Design of a Technology-Facilitated Intervention for Family Caregivers of Critical Care Survivors Blok, Amanda 2023-05-01
CDA 21-143 Hospital GamePlan4Care: A Web-Based Delivery System for Dementia Caregiver Support Horstman, Molly 2021-10-01
CDA 20-104 Improving Mental Health for Veterans with Dementia: Provider Training in Caregiver Engagement Wyman, Mary 2021-07-01
PPO 20-342 The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Veteran Caregivers: A Mixed Methods Study to inform the VA Caregiver Support System Penney, Lauren 2021-03-01

» View more Studies

↑   Top

The URL you requested does not provide valid JSON

» View more Publications

↑   Top


Cyberseminars

The most recent "Caregiver" seminars are displayed.

Date Title Presenter(s)
9/19/2023 Research to the Real World: Insights from Implementation of a Caregiver Support Training Program Decosimo, Kasey  
Chadduck, Trisha  
Van Houtven, Courtney  
4/27/2023 Evaluating Implementation of a Health Literate Care Model In VHA: Outcomes and Recommendations of an HSR&D Field Advisory Meeting Goldstein, Michael  
Kimerling, Rachel  
Midboe, Amanda  
Kumar, Angela  
Greenwood, Daniel  
Clayman, Marla  
Bowman, Sarah  
2/10/2023 HSR&D National Meeting Paper Session: COVID-19 Research Community, HSR&D  
2/9/2023 HSR&D National Meeting Paper Session: Implementation Science Research Community, HSR&D  
10/13/2022 Photovoice: Principles, Practicality, and Benefit to Participants Haverhals, Leah  

» View more Cyberseminars

↑   Top

Videos


↑   Top

Podcasts


There are currently no podcasts for this topic.

↑   Top

Other Resources

↑   Top


Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.