WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) – members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – have introduced the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support former family caregivers of veterans as they transition back to work or into retirement once their time as a caregiver has concluded.
The legislation would require VA to continue to provide needed support - including employment assistance, retirement planning and bereavement counseling - to caregivers when their veteran loved one no longer needs caregiving services because they have sufficiently recovered, require a higher level of care than what a family caregiver can provide or passes away.
“Family caregivers provide an invaluable service to their veteran loved ones, and we can support them by helping them successfully transition back into the workforce or into retirement once their time as a caregiver comes to an end,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation answers a need I have heard about from veterans, caregivers and VA staff in Kansas and will make certain that support for former family caregivers does not abruptly end when the veteran the caregiver is caring for passes away, regains independence or transitions to a higher level of care.”
By Angela Lingg