The Program of General Caregiver Support Services

If you help care for a Veteran who gets their health care from VA, you may be able to get certain support services. Find out if our Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) may

be right for you and how to enroll. 

This program may be right for you if all these descriptions are true for you:

Personal care services are services the Veteran needs from another person. They include care or assistance to support these parts of the Veteran’s life:

Note: You don’t need to be a relative or live with the Veteran to be considered a general caregiver.

Contact the caregiver support team or the caregiver support coordinator at your nearest VA facility. You can also request a referral from the Veteran’s VA health care team.

You’ll then complete an intake with the caregiver support team or the caregiver support coordinator. The Veteran must agree to receive care from you and have you listed as their caregiver in

their health care record.

The Program of General Caregiver Support Services provides these services:

The Veteran must apply for VA health care benefits first. After the Veteran enrolls in VA health care, you can then ask about enrolling in the general caregiver program.

Note: Active-duty service members undergoing a medical discharge will need to apply for VA health care before or after submitting their application for caregiver assistance.

Learn more about active-duty service members and VA health care

Call the Caregiver Support Line at (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.