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caregivers

Podcast 

AWTR Show #871: Military Hearts Matter

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In 2012, Holly Vega’s brother had a heart attack at 40, that’s when she began her heart- healthy advocacy. But it was Gold Star wife Vivianne Wersel’s story of her Marine husband’s heart attack that pushed her to establish Military Hearts Matter (MHM). Holly developed this advocacy group to bring awareness of the stresses of military life for both service members and family and its relation to heart health. In 2020, Holly and Co founder Kaprece James started the non-profit Military Hearts Matter.

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Parenting a Child with Autism
Podcast 

AWTR Show #866: Parenting a Child with Autism

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Welcome to this week’s Milspouse Empowerment Moment. Today Brooklyn gives her tips for parenting a child with autism. Her tips are not only for parents, but also for anyone that knows someone with autism. If you have a child with autism – check out Brooklyn’s tips and feel free to comment and add you own.

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Expert Military Life Veterans 

Here’s How We Can Honor Veterans and Caregivers

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This month, Military Family Appreciation Month, as we honor those who served (both past and present) as well as military families, I’ve also been thinking a lot about the caregivers. 

Caregivers are there in times of celebration, tribulation, and all of the beautiful moments in between. Today, there are 5.5 million people in the United States caring for aging, injured, or wounded veterans. And 1.1 million people provide care for post-9/11 veterans. Nearly a third of these caregivers are under the age of 30. 

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Experience Military Life Veterans 

Are You a Military or Veteran Caregiver?

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To be honest, I didn’t know I was a caregiver. My husband is a combat-wounded Marine, and he was going through the military treatment facilities and then the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Pendleton. Even during that time, I still did not realize that I was a caregiver – or that I would be for the rest of my husband’s life. It wasn’t until one day when I was in the waiting room at Balboa Naval Hospital and a lovely nurse asked me the question. She came out and asked, “Are you Stephen’s caregiver?”  I quickly pulled back and brushed that off by saying “No, no, my husband is young, I’m just his wife.”  Diplomatic and full of wisdom, she smiled at me and said, “You are probably both.”

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Partner Posts 

The Caregiver Experience (and Where to Find Support)

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The demand for caregivers has soared in recent years, driven largely by the aging U.S. population. It’s a responsibility that comes with some daunting challenges. Caregivers often don’t have the time or energy to take care of themselves or other family members, they’re more likely to have to miss work, and unsurprisingly, they often report high levels of stress.

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Expert Military Life Veterans 

Hope For the Warriors Offers Hope to Caregivers

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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, but those of us who have a loved one with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) don’t need a month. We live it every single minute of every single day.

My husband served in the Army for 17 years. We have been married for 14 years. Most of those 14 years were while he was still serving his country.

Our world was turned upside down when he suffered a TBI.

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Expert Military Life Veterans 

Hold on to Yourself: Support for Caregivers

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There are many healing and helping hands that touch the transition of a military member back to civilian life, especially if there are injuries involved.

The most overlooked and under-appreciated of that group? The family caregiver, be it a spouse, parent, or another member of the family. They perform a near-constant labor of love. They are the front line of all the spilling emotions, mood swings, and sleepless nights.

Many try to balance a full-time job with the role of primary caregiver. Often, they have children too, which adds another vital role of keeping the family safe, secure, and running smoothly.

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