U.S. veterans with mesothelioma may need full-time care from family members or friends. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides several benefits to support those caring for veterans with mesothelioma. These include respite care, coaching, and much more. Learn about VA mesothelioma caregiver benefits below and see if we can help you access them.
What Are VA Mesothelioma Caregiver Benefits?
VA mesothelioma caregiver benefits help caregivers recharge and find more effective ways to provide support to a U.S. veteran with mesothelioma.
Veteran caregiver benefits include:
- Building Better Caregivers online workshop
- Help with legal and financial planning
- Peer Support Mentoring Program
- REACH VA mentoring with a certified coach
- Respite care
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help you access essential benefits and resources needed to care for a veteran with mesothelioma. Get help filing for or increasing VA benefits by working with our VA-accredited attorneys for free right now.
The Impact of Caregiving for a Veteran With Mesothelioma
To help loved ones, caregivers must also take care of themselves. However, caregiver duties can be challenging. Caregivers of veterans with mesothelioma may face depression, stress, lack of privacy, and sleep deprivation.
According to an AARP survey, 22% of caregivers report that their health has gotten worse as a result of caregiving.
20+ years helping mesothelioma victims
“It's important that the caregivers stay healthy too. They need to still be able to get away. They still need to be able to surround themselves with support through their family, their church, and their friends.”
VA benefits can help caregivers get the support they need to ease stress and more effectively meet a veteran’s needs.
Types of Veteran Caregiver Benefits
The VA offers numerous resources to caregivers of eligible veterans, including training, respite care, and many other tools. Learn about top VA caregiver benefits below.
Caregiver Support Line
Calling the VA Caregiver Support Line allows you to find a wide range of support options.
By calling the line, you can:
- Connect with Caregiver Support Program teams at local VA cancer centers
- Find monthly caregiver education groups that meet over the phone
- Speak with a social worker to get assistance and counseling
If you’re caring for a veteran with mesothelioma, call the Mesothelioma Veterans Center at (877) 450-8973 now to explore key resources and benefits.
You can also call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.
Caregiver Support Program Teams
Caregiver Support Program teams can help guide you through any issues you face while caring for a U.S. veteran. Every VA medical center has a caregiving team on staff that you can meet with in person.
Caregiver Support Program teams:
- Connect you with helpful services and resources
- Assist you in finding other caregivers through support groups and peer mentor programs
- Help you cope more effectively and ease stress
- Offer advice and coaching on caring for yourself and a veteran
Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring Program
The VA’s Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring Program allows you to connect with mentors to get personal guidance every month.
“Caregivers of Veterans of all eras are eligible to participate in the VA Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring Program, both as Mentors and as Mentees.”
— U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
The VA also offers a one-time connection with a mentor through their Compassionate Connections Program for caregivers who need short-term support.
Caregiver Education Programs
If you’re a first-time caregiver, you may need help to provide the best care possible to a veteran with mesothelioma as well as yourself. The VA can educate and train you to accomplish this.
VA caregiver education services include:
- Building Better Caregivers workshop: This is a 6-week online, anonymous workshop where caregivers can learn how to care for veterans more effectively. They can also connect with people who’ve already taken the workshop for additional support.
- Caregivers FIRST: Here, caregivers will learn how to better manage their own stress and access top VA resources. Caregivers FIRST is a group-based program, allowing those participating to get emotional support from others.
- REACH VA coaching program: Caregivers can learn how to manage their stress and feel less overwhelmed. Individual or group coaching is available.
We can help you learn more about VA mesothelioma caregiver benefits that you might qualify for. Get started by working with our VA-accredited lawyers right now.
Legal and Financial Planning
The VA offers a wide range of legal and financial planning services to help both caregivers and veterans.
Related services include:
- Budgeting household expenses
- Creating advance directives (health care instructions if incapacitated)
- Drafting a will and/or power of attorney letter
- Managing debt and credit
- Reviewing insurance policies
If you’re caring for a veteran with mesothelioma, you can access these services to get help managing finances and legal issues (like creating a will). This can ease your stress and help you focus on caregiving.
Respite Care
Respite care is a very helpful VA mesothelioma caregiver benefit. It allows trained professionals to care for a veteran for short periods of time, allowing you to take a break and recharge.
Third-party caregivers can help veterans with daily tasks, including making meals, bathing, managing medications, and more.
The VA currently offers the following types of respite patient care:
- Adult Day Health Care: A veteran stays at a daycare center for a few hours under the supervision of trained staff. They get to socialize and interact with other older veterans.
- At-home respite care: This is where a professional caregiver will help the veteran in their own home. A veteran’s primary caregiver can then step out to run errands or take a break.
- Nursing home care: The veteran temporarily stays in a nursing home if their loved ones are traveling to another place. The VA provides up to 30 days of respite nursing home care each year.
“We have to assure that the veteran’s needs will be taken care of when the primary caregiver is out of the home. Every enrolled veteran is eligible for respite services.”
— Antoinette McGeorge, Richmond VA Medical Center social worker
Respite services are part of the VA’s geriatrics and extended care benefits program.
Other VA Caregiver Benefits
The VA provides many programs designed to help cancer caregivers deal with the challenges of looking after a loved one.
Other veteran caregiver benefits include:
- Annie text messages: A VA text messaging service called Annie sends caregivers tips to manage stress, provide encouragement, and let them know they’re not alone.
- Bereavement services: These can help caregivers cope after a veteran they love passes away.
- Caregiver Connect: When a veteran has a telehealth medical appointment, this service allows their caregivers to join the online call as well.
- Disability compensation: Veterans with mesothelioma may qualify for disability compensation, which is usually worth almost $4,000 per month. With consent of the veteran, caregivers can use some of this money to cover grocery bills, rent, mortgage, or other expenses.
- Health insurance: Caregivers can get different forms of VA insurance, including CHAMPVA and TRICARE.
- Stipend: In some cases, the VA will provide a monthly stipend to primary caregivers. The amount varies by where the veteran lives and their level of disability, but it can be worth thousands of dollars per month.
- Veterans Crisis Line: This connects veterans, service members in crisis, and their families and friends with qualified and caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.
- Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC): The WVCC provides VA services, resources, and anonymous chat support to women veterans, their families, and caregivers.
Our team may be able to help you pursue VA mesothelioma caregiver benefits and access other top resources now. Call (877) 450-8973 now to get started.
Non-VA Mesothelioma Caregiver Resources
Besides the vast range of resources offered by the VA, mesothelioma caregivers may also have access to other resources that can help both the veteran they love and themselves.
Civilian mesothelioma caregiver resources include:
- The American Cancer Society: This top cancer organization has a guide and video series on how to be an effective cancer caregiver.
- CancerCare: Caregivers can join support groups, get counseling, and explore other helpful resources through this organization.
- Cancer Support Community: This group provides an in-depth series of videos and web pages designed to inform and empower caregivers.
- Private respite care options: Families can explore civilian respite care services and programs if they don’t want to go through the VA to access them.
- Real Warriors: Established by the U.S. Department of Defense, this program provides information and resources about mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.
Caregivers of U.S. veterans can reach out to any of these programs to get the help they deserve.
How to Apply For Mesothelioma Caregiver Benefits
Mesothelioma caregivers can get benefits by enrolling in one of two VA programs. These are the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) or the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS).
VA PGCSS
The PGCSS is the VA’s basic caregiver benefits package and includes over a dozen different services to help make caregiving easier.
To apply for the PCGSS, you need to:
- Make sure that the veteran you love is enrolled in VA health care.
- Connect with a Caregiver Support Team or coordinator at a VA hospital near you.
- Ask the team/coordinator about accessing PCGSS services.
There is no formal application process for the PCGSS.
VA PCAFC
The PCAFC is more comprehensive, offering several programs that aren’t available in the PGCSS — including monthly compensation for caregivers.
Here’s how to apply for the PCAFC:
- You and the veteran you’re caring for must complete VA form 10-10CG.
- The application will be reviewed by the Caregiver Support Program.
- A Caregiver Support Program team will assess you and the veteran.
- If you are initially eligible, you must undergo caregiving training. The Caregiver Support Team will also visit you and the veteran at home to determine which VA services will be the most helpful.
- A decision will then be made on the application within 90 days
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center strives to make applying for VA benefits as stress-free as possible. Find out how we can help you right now.
Who Is Eligible for VA Caregiver Benefits?
To receive mesothelioma caregiver benefits, both the caretaker and veteran must meet certain eligibility criteria.
| Caregiver requirements | Veteran requirements |
|---|---|
| Be at least 18 years old | Be enrolled in VA health care |
| Be a member of the veteran’s family OR be willing to live with the veteran (if they aren’t related and aren’t living together already) | Have a service-related injury or illness |
| Complete a caregiver training program | Have a disability rating of 70% or higher |
| Fill out VA Form 10-10CG (PCAFC application) or speak with a local Caregiver Support Team (PGCSS enrollment) | Need at least 6 months of daily help due to ill health |
If a veteran you love has mesothelioma, they may meet many of the requirements listed above. This is because many cases of mesothelioma stem from asbestos exposure during military service, and the cancer is almost always rated as a 100% disability by the VA.
Further, a 100% disability rating typically allows veterans with mesothelioma to access almost $4,000 a month through disability compensation.
Call (877) 450-8973 to get help accessing all the VA benefits you’re entitled to.
5 Tips on Caring for a Veteran With Mesothelioma
Caring for a veteran with mesothelioma can be a rewarding yet challenging experience. Use our tips below to provide the best care possible for a veteran you love while staying on top of your own health and well-being.
- Connect with the Caregiver Support Program: The VA’s Caregiver Support Program is the main way to access benefits from either the PCAFC or the PGCSS. Visit the VA’s official website to connect with a local caregiving team.
- Get support from others: Family members and friends can help you in a variety of ways, from simply helping you talk through any issues to providing care.
- Seek professional help: Joining mesothelioma support groups moderated by a registered nurse, social worker, or other caregiver can allow you to feel less alone and get tips on caring for a veteran. You can also work with a caregiving mentor through VA programs.
- Take care of yourself: Without taking time to address your own needs, you could become burnt out, depressed, or even angry. Giving yourself much-needed breaks can allow you to provide the highest quality of care to the veteran you love.
- Understand how your role might change: Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, and it can be fatal. By understanding the expected mesothelioma prognosis of a veteran that you love, you can more easily adjust care plans as a veteran’s health needs change.
Contact us today to see if you qualify for mesothelioma caregiver VA benefits. Our caring and dedicated team is here to assist you in any way we can.
Get Help Accessing Mesothelioma Caregiver Benefits
Mesothelioma caregiver benefits are some of the most important resources offered by the VA. Through them, you’ll have the tools you need to provide the best care to a veteran you love.
VA caregiver benefits allow you to:
- Avoid burnout and stay refreshed
- Learn ways to cope and manage stress
- Get support from other caregivers of veterans
- Receive compensation, support, and other resources
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center is committed to helping veterans and their families get VA benefits and other resources following a diagnosis. Get help filing for or increasing VA benefits — our team is ready to help right now if eligible.
VA Mesothelioma Caregiver Benefits FAQs
How do you help someone with mesothelioma?
You can help a family member that you love with mesothelioma by helping with their care.
Veterans with mesothelioma rely on caregivers for any task that they can’t do themselves as a result of the cancer. This may include fixing meals, bathing, cleaning the house, and more.
If you’re caring for a veteran with mesothelioma, it’s important to explore the wide range of caregiver benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Veteran caregiver benefits can help you better understand how to care for a veteran and manage your own health and emotions.
What is the monthly stipend for mesothelioma VA caregivers?
This depends on many factors that are unique to your case, including where you live and the veteran’s level of disability. That said, some monthly caregiver stipends can provide thousands of dollars each month.
Call us now at (877) 450-8973 to get a better idea of how much money you could receive as a mesothelioma caregiver for a veteran. We can also help you pursue other forms of mesothelioma compensation outside of the VA if eligible.
What is palliative care for mesothelioma patients?
Palliative care for mesothelioma cancer patients eases discomfort. Palliative mesothelioma treatments include medications, minor surgeries, and more. These can be given at any stage of a treatment plan.
As part of your mesothelioma caregiver responsibilities, you may help make decisions about what type of care a veteran receives. Ask your veteran’s doctor if palliative care may be able to help them.
What is end-of-life care for mesothelioma patients?
If a mesothelioma patient needs end-of-life care, it means that their cancer treatment plan will focus on relieving their symptoms. This may be recommended to veterans whose cancer has spread.
End-of-life care can be given in the veteran’s home, a hospital, a nursing home, or a hospice facility.
If you’re a veteran’s primary mesothelioma caregiver, you may want to discuss options for end-of-life care ahead of time should they need it.
When should I apply for VA mesothelioma caregiver benefits?
Ideally, file for VA mesothelioma caregiver benefits as soon as possible. Doing so will allow you to get benefits promptly, so you can help care for a veteran with mesothelioma.
To get started, call (877) 450-8973 now. Our team can also tell you about other VA benefits and mesothelioma resources you may qualify for.
Who qualifies to be a mesothelioma VA caregiver?
According to the VA, anyone over the age of 18 who is a family member or willing to live with a veteran can be considered a mesothelioma caregiver.
The veteran and the potential mesothelioma caregiver must both agree ahead of time before an official decision can be made.
