Senate committees weigh efforts to better support caregivers for veterans WSOC TV [Video]

WASHINGTON — Peter Townsend is an Army veteran living in northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife Lisa, who is also his caregiver. Townsend has multiple sclerosis (MS) and often relies on a wheelchair to get around.

“I’m not able to live independently,” Townsend told our Washington News Bureau.

Townsend said they applied for benefits through the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). But they were surprised to learn their application was turned down.

“We were denied because I did not require assistance with certain activities of daily living each and every time,” said Townsend.  “With conditions like MS, the symptoms tend to wax and wane. They’re not always the same every single day… Many veterans like myself are excluded from what would otherwise be a very valuable program.”

Those barriers to veteran caregiver support were the focus of a joint hearing with the Senate Special Committee on Aging …