Page 5 - Desert Oracle December 2020

Family Caregivers Program

The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is for
eligible Veterans who have incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on
or after September 11, 2001. This program provides resources, education, support, a
financial stipend, and health insurance (if eligible), beneficiary travel (if eligible), to
caregivers of eligible Veterans.

The program described above has been improved and expanded and will go into effect
on October 1, 2020.

Under the expanded program, it will include both Veterans and qualifying service
members and will have to meet both of the following criteria to be eligible for PCAFC.
Veteran must:
a) have a single or combined service-connected disability rating by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) of 70% or more regardless of whether it resulted from an injury,
illness or disease. This requirement is included in the
definition of “serious injury;” and

b) be in need of personal care services (requiring in-person personal care services) for
a minimum of six continuous months based on any one of the following:
--inability to perform an activity of daily living (ADL)
--need for supervision, protection, or instruction.

Expansion of the program will include earlier eras of Veterans and will occur in two
phases.

Phase one will begin October 2020 and will include eligible Veterans who incurred or
aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty in the active, military, naval or air service
on or before May 7, 1975.

Phase two will go into effect two years later and include eligible Veterans of all eras.

As a family caregiver, you must meet the following requirements, be at least 18 years
old and you must be either:

 A spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member, or extended family member
of the Veteran

 Someone who lives full-time with the Veteran, or is willing to do so if designated
as a family caregiver

The Veteran can appoint one Primary Family Caregiver and up to 2 Secondary Family
Caregivers. Eligible Family Caregivers can receive caregiver education and training,