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VETERANS AFFAIRS

World War I memorial on Main Street in Marlborough/Photo by Douglas Flynn

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is the administrative organization that provides benefits and services to service members, veterans and their families in recognition of their service to the nation.

Depending upon eligibility, those benefits and services can include medical care, long-term care, geriatric care, disability pensions, life insurance, home loans, employment assistance, education and training.

The VA is divided into three administrative groupings, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).

VA Family Caregivers Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs has created a Family Caregivers Program to provide support and assistance to caregivers of veterans.

Among the services offered are:

  • Caregiver Support Line – Caregivers in need of immediate assistance or looking to have questions answered about veterans benefits can speak with trained, licensed professionals on the VA’s Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274. Those professionals can inform caregivers about the assistance available from the VA, help caregivers access services, connect caregivers with the Caregiver Support Coordinator at the nearest VA Medical Center or simply listen to caregivers’ concerns. The VA Caregiver Support Line is a toll-free call and is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 11 pm ET and on Saturday from 10:30 am to 6 pm ET.
  • Caregiver Support Coordinator – VA Caregiver Support Coordinators are licensed professionals who can support caregivers by providing information about eligible services and helping to coordinate and organize the care of a loved one.
  • Caregiver Services – The VA also offers caregivers help with Adult Day Health Care Centers, a Home-Based Primary Care Program designed to deliver routine health care services to your home when the veteran you care for has medical issues that make it challenging for him or her to travel, a Skilled Home Care Service to provide a medical professional for basic nursing services and physical, occupational, or speech therapies for eligible veterans, Homemaker and Home Health Aide Program to help a veteran with personal care needs, a Home Telehealth Program for education and training or online and telephone support groups for individuals who live at a distance from a VA Medical Center, Respite Care for up to 30 days a year if a veteran requires a caregiver, and Home Hospice Care to provide comfort and support during the advanced stages of a terminal disease.
  • Caregiver Eligibility Check – Visit the VA’s Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Program website to find out if you are eligible for the program . Further information and assistance is available by phone at 1-877-222-VETS (8387).

What MetroWest caregivers need to know

Milford statue of General William Franklin Draper, who served in the Civil War, Congress and as Ambassador to Italy/Photo by Douglas Flynn

For Massachusetts veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs regional office is located in Boston.

Boston VA Regional Office
JFK Federal Building
15 New Sudbury Street
Boston, MA 02203-9928
Phone: 800-827-1000

Listings of all VA facilities in Massachusetts can be found here and here.

Also check your town’s resource page from our interactive map, where each town’s veterans agent is among the resources listed.

Mass.gov has a good source of information to help veterans and their caregivers connect to local resources and services.

Related information and additional web resources

For more general information about the VA and veterans benefits, check out:

Veterans Crisis Line

The Department of Veterans Affairs has also created The Veterans Crisis Line that is available for veterans, their families and caregivers in crisis. It puts you in touch with trained, caring VA professionals through a toll-free number and online chat.

Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or chat online at veteranscrisisline.net to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

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