GET THE FAQs AND OUR APPROACH TO RESPITE CARE HERE

• What is a mobility-impaired veteran? A veteran confined to a wheelchair or scooter due to combat wounds, accident, or disease.
• What is a military caregiver? A spouse, family member, or friend committed to taking care of a veteran’s daily needs ranging from meals, hygiene, getting dressed, errands, and medical needs such as dressing wounds or helping take medications.
• How many mobility-impaired veterans are there in the USA? There are about 250,000 (source: Oxford University).
• How many military caregivers are there in the USA? There are approximately 350,000 (RAND Corporation). There are more caregivers than veterans because some vets have multiple caregivers.
• Are mobility-impaired veterans concentrated in certain areas of the USA? These veterans live in all 50 states, but are concentrated in southern states, with higher levels in Florida, and especially in the area of Tampa. (RAND Corporation).

The FAQs about Mobility-Impaired Veterans and Caregivers:

Our Approach to Caregiver Respite:

• Mobility-impaired veterans and their caregivers live courageously every day! But, to take care of the caregiver, we need to also care for the veteran. This is a unique challenge!
• Caregivers are considered “hidden heroes” (RAND Corporation). Heroes for what they do, but hidden because sadly we tend to see only the veteran. Caregivers carry heavy burdens and struggle with many consequences of caregiving that challenge their mental, physical, spiritual, and relational wellbeing. One of the things caregivers need most is regular respite time off for personal relief, to accomplish training or counseling, or simply to get household errands done. Unfortunately, fewer than 1-in-5 caregivers get regular respite time off.
• Forward Free is offering a strategic approach to caregiver respite. Our goals are to satisfy veteran trust needs; involve the local community; have a human in the loop as much as possible to offer responsive services; offer quality wellness support, including science-supported spiritual assistance; communicate the highest respect and admiration for these accomplished veterans and their caregivers; and, provide our programs without cost to the veteran or caregiver.
• We’ve just begun to implement our first programs, but we’re working to expand these and ultimately deliver in-home healthcare and tailored facilities.