Evidence of meeting #14 for Veterans Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was help.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chair, Caregiving Matters
Okay. If I can contribute some other way, I would love to.
Chair, Caregiving Matters
That is too bad. I've put a lot of work into this, so that's too bad.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
I appreciate that. I think what we'll do is circle back to you and see if we can figure out technically what the issue might be, and have you in a future meeting or maybe have you give a written submission. We'll discuss this further.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
I'm sorry. Thank you.
I apologize, folks. That's unfortunately the way it goes with technology sometimes. I assure the committee that we will make sure that Ms. Bart's voice is heard in terms of her contribution.
Moving forward, we'll go to the first round of questions.
I'm sorry, Monsieur Desilets. Go ahead.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Since we lost about 30 minutes because of the votes in the House earlier, I was wondering if it would be possible to go back over the very end of Ms. Bart's comments. It's not uncommon for our committees that sit on Mondays and Wednesdays to be at a disadvantage—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
I would have to get back to you. I think we can usually squeeze out a few extra minutes. Adding another full hour or half-hour might be pushing it.
Let me check with the appropriate services, and I'll report back. We'll get started and we'll see how long we can go.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Thank you.
Up first with questions for six minutes, we have MP Wagantall.
Go ahead, please.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you so much, Chair. Here we go, finally.
This particular study is all about support services to veterans' caregivers and their families. I would like to focus my questions on the Caregivers' Brigade, since unfortunately we've lost the availability to have the other witness. I would like to ask Marie-Andrée a question.
Could you share a little bit in regard to specific programs, like the caregiver recognition benefit and the VIP, and the imbalance that you experience with regard to its availability for those with mental injuries versus those with physical injuries?
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
Thank you for your question.
My husband sustained mental injuries from his service.
At home, I do perform all of the instrumental activities of daily living, but my husband is able to perform the activities of daily living. The difference between them is that he's able to dress himself, feed himself and bathe himself on his own, but everything that turns around everyday life—such as cooking a meal, getting groceries or doing laundry—he is not able to do on his own.
The caregiver recognition benefit was made to recognize caregivers who perform activities of daily living. Therefore, it was made to compensate women or caregivers who help people bathe, dress and feed themselves.
I did apply initially for that recognition benefit, because when we initially received the information, it was for any caregiver who helped, for example, with errands for a veteran. That was actually written in one of the pamphlets we received, that we were eligible for that.
We were denied. The only reason given was that my husband didn't fit the criteria. The letter I received said, “Thank you for caring for a veteran, but according to our criteria, you are not a caregiver.”
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
We have a problem, then, with the criteria and some subjectivity with regard to those.
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
Yes. Mental health being something that.... You will rarely see people [Technical difficulty—Editor] themselves and bathe or physically dress themselves. It was made for people who are unable to do anything physically. That benefit wasn't made for people with mental issues. It is known that for people who have mental issues, they want them to participate in IADLs, but sometimes it's just not feasible.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
You gave me the example of going out and mowing the lawn. That, you would think, would be a good activity to take part in, because you're outdoors, you're moving and it's exercise, yet for your husband that is an issue. Why would that be? Tell us just briefly, please. I do have another couple of questions, but it's important.
Director for Veteran Families, Caregivers' Brigade
Yes. For a veteran who went to Afghanistan, mowing the lawn, with the sand, the noise and the smell of gasoline, will actually trigger him to have panic attacks, and it will trigger his hypervigilance. Therefore, he can mow the lawn physically, but he'll be stuck on the couch for a week or so after that coming down from all the anxiety that triggers.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you. I appreciate that.
I think it was you, Jeanette, who mentioned that one of your responsibilities was dealing with circumstances for caregivers when a caregiver gets ill. That raised a red flag for me. What are you speaking of there? Briefly and succinctly, so that we can ask a number of other questions as well, could you share that with us? I wondered about it.
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
Good afternoon. Thank you for your question.
That is based on a personal experience I faced roughly four years ago, when I suffered a stroke. My husband faced several difficulties, such as meal prep and medication, because I was always the primary caregiver for him.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Okay. You weren't able to assist him, so what happened?
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
At that time, when I was unable to assist him, he had to go and ask for some assistance and say that he was a grown man and that he couldn't cook for himself. He couldn't care for himself.
Conservative
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
At that time, we did get some support. My husband was provided seven meals for seven days a week. That was for only seven meals, and they were provided only to the veteran.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
When we talk about “when the veteran serves, the family serves” and the caregiver has suffered a stroke, there was no care for the family, and minimal care for the veteran, if you're getting one meal per day.
Director of Community Education, Caregivers' Brigade
Yes. What happened was that my husband had to take the seven meals so that he could help care for me, because he became the caregiver. The roles reversed. Due to the restrictions I was given with the stroke on not being able to use stoves, etc., he had to take his meals and share them with his spouse, me, so that I could be fed as well.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you.
Mr. Chair, do I have a little time left?