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MILITARY
MEDICINE

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of 40 years old (59 percent). At the time of the baseline survey, al- decades. How will this plan affect the caregiver’s life? What is the
most half (48 percent) of the participants had been a caregiver be- socioeconomic impact on their families and the veterans? What
tween five and 10 years, mostly caring for a veteran with a types of programs are needed to better meet the needs of this pop-
polytrauma (behavioral conditions, chronic pain and traumatic ulation and what policies are required to support these families?
brain injury). The time spent assisting veterans with activities of These are some of the issues we plan to study and follow in the
daily living and instrumental activities of daily living was approxi- years to come.
mately 40 hours or more (57 percent). We also measured specific
health-related outcomes in the areas of behavioral and physical Roxana Delgado, PhD, is a health scientist, epi-
health, quality of life and social aspects of human development. demiologist and the wife of SFC(Ret) Victor L. Med-
ina, MRC, CRC, a combat wounded veteran.
I’m the wife of a combat wounded veteran (Purple Heart re- SFC(Ret.) Medina is a Purple Heart Recipient,
cipient), and Dr. Peacock is a Gold Star Wife (Desert Storm). We wounded in Iraq on June 29, 2009, sustaining a
are invested in understanding the health and well-being of mili- moderate traumatic brain injury that resulted in long lasting physical
tary caregivers and the potential sequela to future generations. It and cognitive disabilities. Dr. Delgado assumed the caregiving role,
is imperative to start the conversation and conduct studies that something that later inspired her career path and research interest.
can attend the immediate needs of this population as well as iden-
tifying the long-term consequences of caregiving.

Different than civilian caregivers, for the most part, post-9/11
military caregivers are responsible for the veteran’s medical care
plan for a significant period of time, in some cases up to four

20 San Antonio Medicine • August 2017