A caregiver to an Army veteran told us "Sometimes as a caregiver, you just feel like, what next? You feel like you can’t get your head above water because if it’s not this issue, and then we get this issue straightened out, then it’s another issue."
It's hard to put into words the gratitude I feel for being able to conduct research to help tell the story of our country's military and veteran caregivers - highlighting both their contributions and struggles. I am extremely grateful to Senator Elizabeth Dole for casting light onto our country's Hidden Heroes and to the entire team, past and present, at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, including especially Steven Schwab, for being strong advocates research-informed policy.
Among the many things I am proud of is our team's efforts to create an inclusive definition of caregiving, one that especially includes those caring for individuals with mental health conditions, cognitive challenges, and substance use disorders. And while for many caregivers keeping the person they are caring for at home with them is preferred, our research also includes caregivers who have made the difficult decision to seek out alternative living arrangements for their loved ones. As one caregiver told us: "I’m still a wife, but I’m not a wife and I’m not a widow.... even though they are no longer at home, we are still caregivers."
There are too many people at RAND to thank individually, but today I want to call out Priya G. and Kayla Williams, who led the qualitative component of our study. This phenomenal piece of research prioritizes caregivers' own words, and is worthy of a read. https://lnkd.in/e5v2AUDj
I've included some of my favorite photos from last week, when the Elizabeth Dole Foundation held its annual convening (thanks to the pubs team at RAND for getting all six products published and to DC) and the next day's hearing before congress.
