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Caregivers Finding Important Resources, Support, and Training (Caregivers FIRST)

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Caregivers FIRST (Formerly Helping Invested Families Improve Veterans' Experiences or IHI-FIVES) is offered to caregivers of Veterans of all eras and diagnoses, and is a highly adaptable “grab and go” curriculum package that includes four in-person classes (60-75 minutes each) and optional training topics. The program is designed to help caregivers build coping, support-seeking, and hands-on skills and strategies while connecting with VA supports available and each other.

This innovation is scaling widely with the support of national stakeholders. See more scaling innovations.

Origin:

March 2013, Durham VA Medical Center

Adoptions:

106 successful

Awards and Recognition:

QUERI Partnered Evaluation Initiative

Partners:

Caregiver Support Program, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative

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Metrics

  • 97% of caregiver participants agree or strongly agree that the training was worth the time invested (2018-2020 caregiver participant evaluations, n=124).

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

Statuses

AK: Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System (Anchorage) AL: Birmingham VA Medical Center (Birmingham, Alabama) AL: Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery (Montgomery) AL: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (Tuscaloosa) AR: John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Little Rock, Arkansas) AZ: Carl T. Hayden Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
  • Started adoption on 09/2019.
AZ: Tucson VA Medical Center (Tucson) CA: Fresno VA Medical Center (Fresno) CA: Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (San Diego, California) CA: Los Angeles VA Clinic (Los Angeles) CA: Palo Alto VA Medical Center (Palo Alto, California) CA: Sacramento VA Medical Center (Sacramento) CA: Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center (Long Beach) CO: Aurora VA Clinic (Aurora, Colorado) CO: Grand Junction VA Medical Center (Grand Junction, Colorado) DC: Washington VA Medical Center (Washington, District of Columbia) DE: Wilmington VA Medical Center (Wilmington, Delaware) FL: Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Miami) FL: C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Bay Pines) FL: James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida) FL: Orlando VA Medical Center (Orlando) FL: West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (West Palm Beach) GA: Carl Vinson Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Dublin) GA: Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Augusta Downtown) GA: Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (Atlanta, Georgia) HI: Spark M. Matsunaga Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Honolulu) IA: Des Moines VA Medical Center (Des Moines, Iowa) IA: Iowa City VA Medical Center (Iowa City, Iowa) ID: Boise VA Medical Center (Boise) IL: Edward Hines Junior Hospital (Hines)
  • Started adoption on 05/2019.
IL: Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Chicago, Illinois) IL: Marion VA Medical Center (Marion, Illinois) IN: Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Indianapolis, Indiana) KS: Colmery-O'Neil Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Topeka) KS: Robert J. Dole Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center (Wichita) KY: Franklin R. Sousley Campus (Lexington Leestown) KY: Robley Rex Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Louisville) LA: Alexandria VA Medical Center (Alexandria, Louisiana) MA: Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Bedford) MD: Baltimore VA Medical Center (Baltimore) ME: Togus VA Medical Center (Togus) MI: Aleda E. Lutz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Saginaw, Michigan) MI: Battle Creek VA Medical Center (Battle Creek) MI: John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Detroit) MN: Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) MO: John J. Pershing Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Poplar Bluff)
  • Started adoption on 10/2018.
MO: Kansas City VA Medical Center (Kansas City, Missouri) MO: St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis Jefferson Barracks) MT: Fort Harrison VA Medical Center (Fort Harrison) NC: Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Asheville) NC: Durham VA Medical Center (Durham)
  • Started adoption on 05/2019.
ND: Fargo VA Medical Center (Fargo) NE: Omaha VA Medical Center (Omaha, Nebraska) NJ: East Orange VA Medical Center (East Orange) NV: Ioannis A. Lougaris Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Reno) NV: North Las Vegas VA Medical Center (North Las Vegas) NY: Bath VA Medical Center (Bath) NY: Brooklyn VA Medical Center (Brooklyn) NY: Buffalo VA Medical Center (Buffalo, New York) NY: Canandaigua VA Medical Center (Canandaigua) NY: Northport VA Medical Center (Northport) NY: Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Albany, New York) NY: Syracuse VA Medical Center (Syracuse) OH: Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Outpatient Clinic (Columbus, Ohio) OH: Chillicothe VA Medical Center (Chillicothe) OH: Cincinnati VA Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) OH: Dayton VA Medical Center (Dayton) OH: Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Cleveland, Ohio) OR: Portland VA Medical Center (Portland, Oregon) OR: Roseburg VA Medical Center (Roseburg) PA: Butler VA Medical Center (Butler New Castle Road) PA: Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) PA: Erie VA Medical Center (Erie) PA: James E. Van Zandt Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Altoona) PA: Lebanon VA Medical Center (Lebanon) PA: Pittsburgh VA Medical Center-University Drive (Pittsburgh) PA: Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center (Wilkes-Barre) RI: Providence VA Medical Center (Providence) SC: Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Charleston, South Carolina) SD: Fort Meade VA Medical Center (Fort Meade, South Dakota) SD: Royal C. Johnson Veterans' Memorial Hospital (Sioux Falls) TN: Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center (Memphis) TN: Nashville VA Medical Center (Nashville)
  • Started adoption on 10/2019.
TX: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital (San Antonio, Texas)
  • Started adoption on 10/2019.
TX: Dallas VA Medical Center (Dallas) TX: El Paso South Central VA Clinic (El Paso South Central) TX: George H. O'Brien, Jr., Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Big Spring) TX: Harlingen VA Clinic (Harlingen) TX: Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center (Temple) TX: San Antonio VA Clinic (San Antonio Fredericksburg Road) TX: Thomas E. Creek Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Amarillo) UT: George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Salt Lake City) VA: Hampton VA Medical Center (Hampton) VA: Richmond VA Medical Center (Richmond, Virginia) WA: American Lake VA Medical Center (American Lake)
  • Started adoption on 10/2018.
WA: Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center (Walla Walla) WA: Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Spokane, Washington) WA: Seattle VA Medical Center (Seattle)
  • Started adoption on 10/2018.
WA: Vancouver VA Medical Center (Vancouver)
  • Started adoption on 05/2020.
WI: Clement J. Zablocki Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) WI: Tomah VA Medical Center (Tomah) WI: William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans' Hospital (Madison)
  • Started adoption on 05/2020.
WV: Beckley VA Medical Center (Beckley) WV: Louis A. Johnson Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Clarksburg) WV: Martinsburg VA Medical Center (Martinsburg) WY: Cheyenne VA Medical Center (Cheyenne)

There are no in-progress adoptions for this innovation.

There are no unsuccessful adoptions for this innovation.

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Above:

The randomized control trial was shown to: 1 ) Increase the experience of VA care for caregivers at 6 months and 12 months and for patients at 12 months; 2) Reduce caregiver feelings of isolation; 3) Increase Veteran days in the community (not in an institution) at 12 months (9% more)