Transcript for Caregiving – Giving Back a Life Video
[Female Voiceover] “Bree Shields is a Veteran Caregiver to her husband Sean, a U.S. Army Veteran.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, smiling at camera] “Hi! My name is Bree. I am a Veteran spouse and a caregiver for my husband, Sean.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “My husband deployed to Afghanistan in 2013, where he sustained a knee and a back injury, memory loss, hearing loss, PTSD, among some other injuries as well.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “And upon his arrival home, he knew that something was off, but he tried to mask that as best as possible, and cope in really unhealthy ways.”
[Female voiceover] “Deployed in 2013 to Afghanistan, Sean was involved in multiple firefights and a Humvee accident.”
[Image shown during voiceover: Bree shown in an outdoor gazebo with her arms around her husband, Sean.]
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “And so it took a while for me to learn his story and what he had been through on deployment. And really the pinnacle of his journey post deployment was the night that he was hospitalized for mental health.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “Before that, I knew I was caregiving, but in that moment everything that I had worked on professionally and personally really came into play - the advocacy I had done, the leadership I had learned, the researching community resources.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “It was really in that moment that I assumed that caregiver role because his life was on the line, and I knew I had to give everything I could to help him live.”
[Image shown of Bree Shields and her husband standing on top of sand dunes.] “And not just live, but live well and that for me is what being a caregiver is all about. It is about giving someone their life back.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “My husband gave up so much, and did a very honorable thing, and was injured in the process and lost himself, and his injuries took some of his independence.”
[Female voiceover] “There are 5.5 million military caregivers in our country. Bree is one of them.”
[Video during voiceover: Male Veteran in a wheelchair being pushed through TriWest Healthcare Alliance corporate lobby by a Caregiver and a female host, with company images on walls behind them.]
[Image as voiceover concludes: Bree Shields and her husband both smiling at camera, outside on some dune hills.] “So it was my job to give that back that to him.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “To remind him who he was, to empower him, to help set up things in our life, so that he can have more of his independence back and really that is what it is all about, is helping our Veterans live a life that is full, and rich, and good.”
[Black and white photo of Bree Shields standing at an outdoor venue wearing a face mask and an Elizabeth Dole Foundation shirt.] “I was the Dole caregiver fellow for the state of Arizona, and I could not be more excited. We've been traveling this journey for a while now, and we feel ready to share our story.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “But more importantly, I could not be more excited to partner with caregivers and help them give to themselves because I know what it’s like to be in the trenches.”
[Image shown Bree and Sean Shields during Sean’s service, standing at outdoor location with a building in background.] “And feel like you're giving everything you can and having nothing left. And so I want to help caregivers really feel empowered like they are healthy and thriving.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “So that the care they give to their Veterans is at its best.”
[Image shows large group of military personnel and Veterans standing at attention and saluting during ceremony.]
[Female Voiceover] “VA offers resources and assistance to Veterans and Veteran caregivers alike.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues:] “A lot of our caregivers are facing burnout, compassion fatigue, caregiver fatigue. And if our caregivers burn out, that means that our Veterans are at risk and I do not want either.”
[Image shows man smiling while sitting as female caregiver stands with hand resting on his shoulder and touching his hand.]
[Female voiceover] “A caregiver's emotional and physical health is important. Caregivers should remember to reach out for help for themselves when needed.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “I wanted to share a couple of ways that maybe you can help us as caregivers.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “The first is sharing resources. If you see any military resource I would strongly encourage you to share that, whether it is word of mouth, social media, email, however you would choose to share that, please do so.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “I will tell you that my husband is alive today because of some of the programs we've been able to access in the community.”
[Bree Shields, Veteran Caregiver and Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow, continues] “If you know of a Veteran, I would challenge you to go a step further than a text and make a face-to-face connection because right now our Veterans and their mental health is very fragile, and so I have definitely seen the impacts of my husband seeing someone face-to-face in the way that lifts their spirits.”
[Slide showed during female voiceover: Elizabeth Dole Foundation logo that reads, “Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Caring for Military Families.”]
[Female voiceover] “TriWest is a proud sponsor of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. Dole Caregiver Fellows are the heart and soul of the Foundation and are carefully selected each year.”
[Slide showing Resources for Veteran Caregivers. Resources listed include: Department of Veterans Affairs www.caregiver.va.gov and Elizabeth Dole Foundation www.HiddenHeroes.org]
[Final slide shows TriWest Healthcare Alliance logo]