Skip to main content

Military Health System

DHA's E Caregiver Directory Puts Resources at Your Fingertips

Image of Woman on left stretching her husband's left arm and right leg. Woman on left stretching her husband's left arm and right leg

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness | Mental Health: Seeking Care with TRICARE | Suicide Prevention | Warrior Care | Mental Health is Health Care

The Defense Health Agency's new electronic Caregiver Resource Directory provides more than 2,000 resources for caregivers of wounded warriors within three taps on their mobile phone, their computer, or tablet.

"It gives you the flexibility that whenever you need to find that information, whatever you're looking for, it's right there at your fingertips," said Jamela Davis, a caregiver for her husband, who was in the U.S. Army.

For the more than 300,000 caregivers of wounded warriors and veterans, the eCRD "is phenomenal," Davis added. "People sometimes get a little scared of having to navigate on their phone, but it's just so easy. That makes it a good tool to have."

When you open up the eCRD, you can easily see a table of contents and find the category you are looking for. From there, you can see the list of resources that are available.

The eCRD is an electronic platform based on the National Resource Directory. The NRD is a database of validated resources that supports recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration for service members, veterans, family members, and caregivers. It is a joint operation of the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor.

In May 2022, phase one of the eCRD rolled out.

"When we update the NRD with new resources, they can be immediately added to the eCRD with just a check box," said Jonathan Morris, with DHA's Warrior Care Recovery Care Programs Operations, highlighting just one of its user-friendly features.

Other innovations in the eCRD include:

  • Simple searchability through navigations and links
  • No heavy scrolling
  • Single page content printing
  • Hyperlinks to each resource

"The old version was a PDF and required people to scroll up and down. If they wanted to pull a specific page, they needed to download the complete directory," Morris pointed out.

A hard copy of the Caregiver Resource Directory was launched in 2015, updated yearly, and has had more than 300,000 free copies distributed, he said.

Taking the Weight Off Relocation

There are many services and resources available to caregivers and their families if they have to relocate, so that the hand-off can go as smoothly as possible.

"There are direct links to each of the military service relocation programs that are highlighted by location," Morris said.

He added that the NRD and the eCRD connect relocating caregivers and families to "services and agencies to help them settle in and give them access to virtual support through organizations such as the American Red Cross Military and Veterans Caregiver Network."

"They can also reach out to the NRD by email at infoNRD.osd@mail.mil, and the content team will assist with finding resources" down to local community churches, Morris explained.

Self-Care and Crisis Care

Caregiving can be a 24/7/365 responsibility, and caregivers need to take care of themselves to be able to continue their roles without burning out.

For Davis, "I'm always looking at ways for rest and relaxation; this helps protect my caregiver mental health and well-being."

She's also used the Veteran Spouse Network and has participated in caregiver retreats at an equestrian therapy ranch, which has programs for wounded warriors and their families. She said these programs add to her "toolkit" of self-care.

Additionally, crises can arise, and caregivers may have an immediate need for resources. "Some caregivers need that information right now," Davis said.

For other caregivers, challenges could be "everything from mental health, to employment, to education," Davis said, adding: "Caregivers need so much, and they just never know what kind of a situation they'll be in."

Top Searches

The top five resources that are searched for on the eCRD and NRD this year are:

  • Access to health care for caregivers
  • Guides to community resources
  • Caregiver resources for family members with traumatic brain injury
  • VA specialty resources for caregivers
  • Mental health support services for children of caregivers

You also may be interested in...

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Hearing and Vision 3

Infographic
2/7/2023

Vision and hearing are vital senses for effective communication and situational awareness. To defend yourself against injury and maintain mission readiness, wear the proper vision and hearing protection while on and off duty. Learn more: • Vision: https://vce.health.mil/Eye-Injury-Prevention-and-Response/Eye-Protection • Hearing: https://hearing.health.mil/Prevention/Evaluated-Hearing-Protection-Devices #BIAMonth #TBI

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Protect

Infographic
2/7/2023

#BeABrainWarrior = protect your head. Learn how to #ProtectTreatOptimize your brain health. https://health.mil/BIAMonth #BIAMonth #TBI

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Hearing and Vision 4

Infographic
2/7/2023

DYK? If you sustain a head injury, you could also have vision, balance, and hearing damage problems. See your health care provider right away. https://vce.health.mil https://hearing.health.mil #BIAMonth #TBI

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Treat

Infographic
2/7/2023

#BeABrainWarrior – learn to recognize #TBI symptoms and don’t delay treatment. Find resources to #ProtectTreatOptimize your brain health. https://health.mil/BIAMonth #BIAMonth

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Fact 1

Infographic
2/7/2023

Do you or a loved one have a #TBI? You aren’t alone. Service members have reported more than 460,000 TBIs since 2000. Find tools to protect yourself from further injury, talk to your provider about your treatment, and optimize your recovery. Learn more: https://health.mil/BIAMonth. #BIAMonth #ProtectTreatOptimize #BeABrainWarrior

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Fact 2

Infographic
2/7/2023

#DYK? Most #TBI happen in garrison, not on the battlefield. Find fact sheets to help you becomes a #BeABrainWarrior and protect your head anytime, anywhere. https://health.mil/BIAMonth. #BIAMonth #ProtectTreatOptimize

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Hearing and Vision 2

Infographic
2/7/2023

Head injuries, especially from a blast, are one of the most common combat-related injuries among deployed service members. Typical symptoms after a head injury are trouble hearing speech in noisy settings, ringing or other sounds in your ears or head, or dizziness when you move your head while walking or bending down. Talk to your provider if you have any of these symptoms. Learn more about #TBI and hearing loss: https://hearing.health.mil/Resources/Education/Conditions-and-Concerns/TBI-and-Hearing-Loss #BIAMonth

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Hearing and Vision 1

Infographic
2/7/2023

Our providers are prepared and ready to treat vision and hearing dysfunctions associated with TBI. Learn more: https://vce.health.mil/Clinicians-and-Researchers/Clinical-Practice-Recommendations, and https://hearing.health.mil/For-Providers. #BIAMonth

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Infographic

Infographic
2/7/2023

Even a mild traumatic brain injury can impact mission readiness and the ability to deploy. #BeABrainWarrior by understanding the signs and symptoms of TBI and knowing when to seek care. TBI is treatable & recovery is possible. https://health.mil/BIAMonth #BIAMonth

Recommended Content:

Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence | DOD TBI Worldwide Numbers | TBI Patient and Family Resources | Brain Injury Awareness | Be a Brain Warrior: Protect. Treat. Optimize.

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Optimize

Infographic
2/7/2023

#BeABrainWarrior by optimizing your #TBI recovery journey and safely return to duty. Learn how you can #ProtectTreatOptimize your brain health. https://health.mil/BIAMonth #BIAMonth

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Brain Injury Awareness Month: Main Graphic

Infographic
2/7/2023

Are you ready to #BeABrainWarrior? Learn how to protect, treat, and optimize brain health during Brain Injury Awareness Month. Visit https://health.mil/BIAMonth. #BIAMonth #TBI #ProtectTreatOptimize

Recommended Content:

Brain Injury Awareness

Mental Health G

Infographic
12/12/2022

Is a loved one struggling with mental health? Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Recommended Content:

Mental Health: Seeking Care with TRICARE

Mental Health H

Infographic
12/12/2022

Mental health matters at all ages. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Recommended Content:

Mental Health: Seeking Care with TRICARE

Mental Health I

Infographic
12/12/2022

Need someone to talk to about mental health? Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Recommended Content:

Mental Health: Seeking Care with TRICARE

Mental Health C

Infographic
12/12/2022

No matter your age, mental health is important. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Recommended Content:

Mental Health: Seeking Care with TRICARE
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 > >> 
Showing results 1 - 15 Page 1 of 5
Refine your search
Last Updated: November 30, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery