The 36-year-old Afghanistan war veteran can’t be left alone with his kids because his hallucinations and outbursts make him a danger to himself and others. He must be handed his medications, or he’ll forget to take them. He doesn’t drive or work. Or manage his finances, having once spent thousands of dollars in a wild shopping spree while experiencing mania.
Still, the former Army sergeant has not been hospitalized for mental health issues in nearly five years — an achievement he and his wife attribute to her providing around-the-clock care for him, supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs‘ Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
In addition to providing health care coverage and community support, the program pays the veteran a stipend that allows the wife to care for him instead of hiring a home health aide.
But in the past month, the couple, who live in South Carolina and requested anonymity so they could speak freely about their situation due to concerns about retaliation from their VA caseworkers, learned they no longer qualify for the benefit. Continue reading here…