New cohort of military servicemember and veteran caregivers: Care for the caregiver as an overlooked imperative

ABSTRACT: Caregivers of wounded, ill, or disabled military servicemembers and Veterans play an essential yet underrecognized role in health care delivery. A new cohort of younger spouses, parents, and peers has emerged after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, assuming complex clinical, coordination, and advocacy responsibilities while facing substantial health, emotional, and financial risk. This column highlights the role of Nurse Practitioners in recognizing caregivers as secondary patients and advancing caregiver health as integral to patient-centered care. As Nurse Practitioners, we are educated to look beyond diagnoses to the broader context in which health and healing occur. As a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, I believe one of the most pressing-and persistently overlooked-contexts in care today are the health and well-being of caregivers of the wounded, ill, injured, or disabled military servicemembers and Veterans. After the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new cohort of caregivers has emerged. These individuals are central to recovery, rehabilitation, and long-term outcomes for those who have served. Yet caregiver health is too often assumed rather than assessed, and caregiving capacity is taken for granted rather than intentionally supported.