The Rand Report
Yet before she could devise solutions, Senator Dole needed to uncover the problems and discover both the needs of the community and the gaps in support. So Senator Dole commissioned the RAND Corporation to develop the first nationwide comprehensive, evidence-based report on the needs of military and veteran caregivers. Enlisting the support of the Wounded Warrior Project, the Lilly Endowment and the Cannon Foundation, the report compiled two years of research, including an environmental scan of available services, a gap analysis, and specific recommendations to support what Dole refers to as America’s hidden heroes: the young spouses, mothers, fathers and other loved ones caring for wounded warriors.
The results were staggering. “The most surprising finding was just how large the caregiver problem had grown without action being taken to address it. The RAND report clearly showed us that this is a societal crisis requiring a national response. That is why this two-year research was critical and why it continues to be so valuable,” Senator Dole notes. Recalling the many caregivers Senator Dole met while her husband recovered at Walter Reed made it all the more personal. “I’ve come to know many caregivers over the last few years. They are bright, cheery, smart and funny. So it pains me to think of them lying awake at night, wondering how they can find a job to support their families without abandoning the person who so desperately needs their care. Or, how the caregivers themselves face waves of grief, depression and panic as they come to terms with the reality that they will likely serve in this role for decades to come, and in many instances, they will have to do so without anyone’s help. No person should ever feel this way, particularly the people who are dedicating their lives to taking care of those who cared for us.”
These are the individuals for whom Senator Dole fights.
