Building Trust and Partnership: Findings from A Needs Assessment of Military and Veteran Caregiving Families in Utah

Identifying caregivers and their needs is a growing concern as overall, populations are aging and more care is provided at home rather than in clinical settings. Youth caregivers are underrecognized generally in the U.S. yet have become a priority to identify in Veteran caregiving families. However, little is known about this group and military and Veteran families may not readily self-identify due to stigma or fear of repercussions. A group of researchers affiliated with the Department of Veteran Affairs teamed with a community partner to conduct a needs assessment and town hall to better understand the caregiving needs of military and Veteran families in Utah, using a community-based research partnership approach. The largest area of need reported was special needs care for a child with disabilities younger than 18 (40%), followed by special needs care for a family member with disabilities 18 years or older (30%) and caregiver support for an older/senior family member (30%). A third of families indicated children aged 11 or younger and children aged 12–18 supporting caregiving activities at home. Many families reported multiple, overlapping needs In the town hall, families discussed the needs assessment and provided more detail on needs and family contexts. The results of the study are being used to design a caregiving support program hosted by the community partner and are informing a research strategy to better understand military and Veteran caregiving needs nationally.