Federal-support programs excite Arkansas caregiver

WASHINGTON - Arkansan Natalie Tarte cried Friday as first lady Michelle Obama announced new government and nonprofit programs that will support caregivers for wounded service members and veterans.

Tarte, who has been her husband’s caregiver since 2011, joined caregivers from across the country in the East Room of the White House as Obama and others announced initiatives for them such as support groups, free legal help, training and financial assistance.

Tarte and other Elizabeth Dole Fellows, who serve as spokesmen and advisers to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, were in Washington this week to talk with politicians and government officials about their experiences. The foundation, created by former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, works to strengthen support for military caregivers.

Dole said she created the foundation after watching other caregivers in 2010 during an 11-month stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center by her husband, 1996 Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole.

Obama said caregivers were a major inspiration for Joining Forces - a veteran-support initiative that she and Jill Biden, vice president Joe Biden’s wife, created in 2011.

“The burden that these women and men bear for our country is real, and they shouldn’t have to shoulder all of that alone,” Obama said. “We’re here to show these hidden heroes that we have got their backs.”

The initiatives announced Friday include helping caregivers find legal and financial help for free through the Military Officers Association of America, the American Bar Association and USAA Bank. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is creating a program to find flexible jobs for military caregivers. The Jewish Chaplains Council and the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America are working on child-care, camping and fitness options.

Obama also announced that over the next 14 months, the Defense Department will create in-person and online support groups for caregivers. Private military and veterans organizations and faith organizations have pledged to train more than 10,000 mentors over the next year to aid the support groups.

Tarte, 29, said she was energized and inspired by the first lady’s announcement.

“There is a real feeling of being alone and feeling isolated and wondering if there’s any help coming for us,” Tarte said after the announcement. “We tend to be the one behind the scenes supporting our veterans. I know I feel extremely honored to care for my husband, but I think something that is important for everyone to remember is that we need support, too.”

Details on how to access the new programs are available at www.caregiver.va.gov or at militaryonesource.mil.

The announcements came after a Rand Corp. report found that of the estimated 5.5 million military caregivers in the United States, 1.1 million are caring for veterans injured since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The report said military caregivers are younger than civilian caregivers. They also are more likely to care for a younger person who has a mental-health or substance-abuse problem.

Many caregivers get sick because they put so much time and attention into caring for others, it said.

The report defines “caregiver” as a family member, friend or neighbor who assists, cares for or manages the care of an individual with a disabling wound, injury, or physical or mental illness. They may provide this service part or full time.

At Friday’s announcement, Elizabeth Dole called the report a “clarion call” for public, private and faith-based organizations to work together. She announced support ranging from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka to evangelical pastor Joel Osteen.

Tarte and her husband, Army Sgt. Chris Tarte, live in Dardanelle with children ages 6, 4 and 2. She became Chris Tarte’s caregiver after a vehicle he was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in October 2011.

Chris Tarte lost his right leg below the knee and suffered serious damage to the other leg. He also has post-traumatic stress disorder.

Natalie Tarte said it affects his memory and ability to focus, which means she has to handle the family’s finances, home and the children’s schedules on her own as well as driving him to appointments at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Little Rock.

“Anything that requires a lot of attention and a lot of responsibility goes through me,” she said.

She is excited the Defense Department will organize support groups for caregivers.

In the two years since her husband was injured, she hasn’t met many military caregivers who live nearby.

“There is not a good way to connect with other caregivers in Arkansas,” she said. “The majority of caregivers that I know are scattered throughout the country because we all met and became close while our husbands were in rehabilitation.”

On Thursday, Natalie Tarte met with U.S. Sens. Mark Pryor and John Boozman and with U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, who lives in Dardanelle, “to speak for the caregivers in the state of Arkansas, allow them to hear how we feel,” Tarte said. “It’s been a very busy, but very rewarding, week.”

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 04/12/2014

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