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Purpose: To improve the quality of life of military family caregivers to help manage stress and cope better. Design: Feasibility study using RE-AIM framework and mixed methods to adapt the evidence-based Stress- Busting Program to...
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Purpose: To improve the quality of life of military family caregivers to help manage stress and cope better. Design: Feasibility study using RE-AIM framework and mixed methods to adapt the evidence-based Stress- Busting Program to military context. Methods: Program content adapted to military context; 9-session intervention provided in small groups with two facilitators. Data collected at baseline, exit, and 2 months post-intervention, with interviews at one year post-intervention. Sample: Procedure: contact as many possible family caregivers of wounded warriors, self-identified as needing assistance with coping. Mostly female, White, and Hispanic spouses, 98 enrolled, 82 completed the intervention, 62 completed the full data collection. Analysis: Longitudinal cohort design using repeated measures. Because average scores of groups were not appropriate for analysis due to large variability of individual differences, each person served as own control; individual changes from baseline to post-intervention provided basis for assessment. Qualitative descriptive analysis of data collected on questionnaires, interviews, and facilitator notes. Findings: Caregivers reported study to be very effective; they acquired skills to change their behaviors, thinking, and family interactions, thereby improving their quality of life. It gave them permission to care for themselves; they shared these skills with their wounded warriors and family members. Caregivers had statistically significant decreases in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and somatization; these findings were sustained two months post-intervention. A pattern of reduction in psychological symptoms was statistically significant at exit assessment and maintained at 2- month follow-up. Insomnia scores showed a statistically non-significant decline. Scores reflecting Spiritual Well-Being increased to statistical significance at 2-months.
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The United States has been at war longer than any time in its history. While thousands have been wounded in these conflicts, advances in battlefield medicine mean many of our troops survive catastrophic wounds. The nature of many ...
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The United States has been at war longer than any time in its history. While thousands have been wounded in these conflicts, advances in battlefield medicine mean many of our troops survive catastrophic wounds. The nature of many of their wounds, however, means some require long-term caregiving support. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation commissioned RAND Corp to assess the needs of military caregivers, scan the services available to them, and identify how their needs are -- and are not -- being met. This report reviews existing research on the needs of caregivers in general, and assesses how lessons learned can be applied to military caregivers. We also present information gleaned from military caregivers themselves and from policymakers and program officials who either directly support, or advocate on behalf of, military caregivers. We provide a snapshot of the number and characteristics of military caregivers, the roles they serve, the physical and emotional impact caregiving has on their lives, and the resources available to them. Military caregivers tend to be younger women with dependent-age children, dealing with a different set of patient variables than the general caregiver population. Along with typical caregiver responsibilities, military caregivers also act as case managers navigating multiple health systems, advocates for new treatment, and financial and legal representatives. Many are also raising children and holding jobs outside the home. Studies indicate that caregivers in general suffer from physical strain and overall worse health and tend to put their own concerns behind those of the individuals for whom they are caring. Military caregivers suffer disproportionately from mental health problems and emotional distress. Many government programs are still in their infancy, and community resources are scattered and uncoordinated. Difficulties are presented by differing eligibility criteria, lack of access, and the way caregivers' needs change over time.
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When family caregivers are unable to cope effectively with all role responsibilities, the health and well-being of the care recipient also may be jeopardized. Unfortunately, there are few studies that examine the intricacies of ca...
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When family caregivers are unable to cope effectively with all role responsibilities, the health and well-being of the care recipient also may be jeopardized. Unfortunately, there are few studies that examine the intricacies of caregiving for people with spinal cord injuries. The purpose of this study is to identify issues specific to family caregivers of veterans with spinal cord injuries and develop a relevant, culturally appropriate instrument to assess caregiver distress and/or benefit. Family caregivers of veterans from three geographically diverse sites (Richmond, Virginia, Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado) are being recruited to participate in focus groups discussing caregiving issues. To date, five focus groups with a total of 34 participants were completed in Richmond. IRB approval in Seattle and Denver is still pending but in progress. There was a significant delay in being able to schedule the focus groups in Richmond pending receipt of WOC status by the Principal Investigator (Charlifue). However, this is now in hand and the study is moving forward at a good pace. It is anticipated that IRB approval will be finalized in Denver within the month of October 2012 and focus groups will be convened before 2013 if possible. IRB approval in Seattle is progressing and anticipated to be completed by the end of 2012.
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This Guide has information for caregivers of service members/veterans who have a moderate to severe TBI. The main intent of the Guide is to provide information as you need it. It contains four modules, plus the Caregiver's Compani...
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This Guide has information for caregivers of service members/veterans who have a moderate to severe TBI. The main intent of the Guide is to provide information as you need it. It contains four modules, plus the Caregiver's Companion: Module 1: Introduction to Traumatic Brain Injury. This module tells you about the brain and what happens when it is injured. Module 2: Understanding the Effects of TBI and What You Can Do to Help. This module explains the physical, thinking, communication, and emotional effects of TBI. It also tells you how you can help your family member deal with these effects. Module 3: Becoming a Family Caregiver for a Service Member/Veteran with TBI. This module is all about you, whether you are a caregiver at home or supporting your family member at a health care facility. It has tips on how to organize your life as a caregiver. It encourages you to take care of yourself during this stressful time. Module 4: Navigating Services and Benefits. This module tells you about how the disability rating system works. It describes how to get services and benefits that can help your family member with TBI. The Companion is a binder of information and forms to help you in the day-to-day management of caregiving.
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When family caregivers are unable to cope effectively with all role responsibilities, the health and well-being of the care recipient also may be jeopardized. Unfortunately, there are few studies that examine the intricacies of ca...
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When family caregivers are unable to cope effectively with all role responsibilities, the health and well-being of the care recipient also may be jeopardized. Unfortunately, there are few studies that examine the intricacies of caregiving for people with spinal cord injuries. The purpose of this study is to identify issues specific to family caregivers of veterans with spinal cord injuries and develop a relevant, culturally appropriate instrument to assess caregiver distress and/or benefit. Family caregivers of veterans from three geographically diverse sites (Richmond, Virginia, Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado) are being recruited to participate in focus groups discussing caregiving issues. To date, five focus groups with a total of 34 participants were completed in Richmond and two groups in Denver with a total of 8 participants. IRB approval in Seattle is still pending but in progress. It is anticipated that IRB approval will be finalized in Seattle within the month of October 2013 and focus groups will be convened before 2014 if possible.
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Parental deployment can disrupt the care children receive both as a result of deployment-related separation and the potentially destabilizing impact of deployment on the remaining caregiver and daily routines. This study will foll...
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Parental deployment can disrupt the care children receive both as a result of deployment-related separation and the potentially destabilizing impact of deployment on the remaining caregiver and daily routines. This study will follow 230 intact military families with a child between 4-7 years in a longitudinal pre- mid- and post-deployment study. At Pre and post deployment, Service Members and their Spouses complete questionnaires and interviews regarding their psychological health, marital and family functioning, and parent functioning. Spouses complete questionnaires regarding children s psych health and development at pre- mid- and post-timepoints. Children participate through doll and puppet play interview. Teacher ratings of the child are collected at all three timepoints. The objectives of this study are to: 1) Determine the impact of Service Member s post-deployment psychological health on children ages 4 to 7 years old, and; 2) Identify those particular Service Member s Psychological Health-related symptoms that place children at risk for negative outcomes and assess the means by which these symptoms undermine children s adjustment directly by the Service Member and indirectly via negative impact on the Spouse. Current progress includes successful IRB review and survey development. The PI changed institution and the award was transferred to her new institution. The US Marine Corps has agreed to host the study with the I Marine Expeditionary Force at Base Camp Pendleton. Data collection is expected to begin with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Fall, 2015.
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When family caregivers are unable to cope effectively with all role responsibilities, the health and well-being of the care recipient also may be jeopardized. Unfortunately, there are few studies that examine the intricacies of ca...
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When family caregivers are unable to cope effectively with all role responsibilities, the health and well-being of the care recipient also may be jeopardized. Unfortunately, there are few studies that examine the intricacies of caregiving for people with spinal cord injuries. The purpose of this study is to identify issues specific to family caregivers of veterans with spinal cord injuries and develop a relevant, culturally appropriate instrument to assess caregiver distress and/or benefit. Family caregivers of veterans from three geographically diverse sites (Richmond, Virginia, Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado) are being recruited to participate in focus groups discussing caregiving issues. To date, five focus groups with a total of 34 participants were completed in Richmond and two groups in Denver with a total of 8 participants. IRB approval in Seattle is still pending but in progress. It is anticipated that IRB approval will be finalized in Seattle within the month of October 2013 and focus groups will be convened before 2014 if possible.
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In summer 2008, the Sierra Club partnered with the National Military Family Association to implement outdoor education activities in Operation Purple (registered trademark) camps. Operation Purple is a free camp for youth from mil...
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In summer 2008, the Sierra Club partnered with the National Military Family Association to implement outdoor education activities in Operation Purple (registered trademark) camps. Operation Purple is a free camp for youth from military families. In 2008, there were 63 camps at sites nationwide. The mission of Operation Purple is to facilitate socialization among military youth and to help youth, particularly those who have experienced a parental deployment, cope with the stress of war. Youth between 7 and 17 are eligible to attend. The Operation Purple curriculum is designed to incorporate outdoor activities intended to meet four objectives: (1) teach children about the outdoor environment through nature walks; (2) educate camp participants about ways to preserve and keep the environment clean; (3) expose children to the psychological and emotional benefits of outdoor activities, such as taking a walk to release stress; and (4) teach children to enjoy the outdoors through group and individual activities, such as camping. The outdoor education curriculum was primarily intended to focus on local ecology (e.g., ideas about conservation and the impact of humans on the environment) and good stewardship of the environment (e.g., recycling). This study was conducted to determine the level of engagement in outdoor and environmentally friendly activities during camp participation with attention to environmental stewardship and interests in outdoor activities (e.g., hiking, ecology); camp participants' intentions to continue such activities; the extent to which those activities are sustained post-camp; and whether those activities are a topic of discussion between the participant and his/her nondeployed caregiver.
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This is the fourth and final Annual Report of the Department of Defense (DoD) Recovering Warrior Task Force (RWTF), which was established at Congress behest to examine the effectiveness of military Recovering Warrior (henceforth R...
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This is the fourth and final Annual Report of the Department of Defense (DoD) Recovering Warrior Task Force (RWTF), which was established at Congress behest to examine the effectiveness of military Recovering Warrior (henceforth Recovering Warriors, or RWs) policies and programs and to recommend improvements.1 Congress specified more than a dozen RW matters that RWTF was to study each year; although these matters focused primarily on RW needs and resources prior to signing a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty form (known as the DD2142), Congress also charged RWTF to address RWs transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and civilian status. Drawing upon a comprehensive research plan encompassing a wide variety of data sources and collection methods (see Appendix D, Methodology), RWTF produced a total of 77 recommendations in its first three years of effort. These recommendations can be found in RWTF s Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, FY2012, and FY2013 Annual Reports, which are available at http://rwtf.defense.gov/. The present FY2014 Annual Report makes 10 recommendations, for a total of 87 RWTF recommendations over four years of operation. Two factors differentiate the tenor and content of this RWTF Annual Report from the three that preceded it: the anticipated sunset of RWTF and the shifting geopolitical landscape. RWTF, a timelimited Federal Advisory Committee (FAC), will sunset November 20, 2014. RWTF is thus mindful that this volume represents a final opportunity to potentially influence the future effectiveness and course of RW care. Secondly, RWTF recognizes that the drawing down of U.S. military operations in Southwest/Central Asia after more than a decade of war poses both risk and opportunity for the enduring RW mission. The decline in combat injuries may jeopardize continued attention and resources for RW matters.
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