Washington - Today, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-4), introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to boost the Veteran's Administration's respite care system and help spouses and adult children who are now caring for America's aging heros. This legislation ensures that our nation's veterans and their care-givers can access respite care services outside of a VA facility.

"More and more we see spouses and adult children providing for their elderly and ailing partners and parents at home. Respite care provides them with assistance so they may take a break from the stress of caring for another. My legislation would ensure that veterans in need of health care do not need to be placed in a nursing home simply because their care-giver becomes overwhelmed," Smith said. Respite care has increasingly become an integral part of home health care. It provides a period of relief for primary care-givers, people who often place the health of a loved one before their own.

Thanks to this legislation, the VA will be able to contract skilled heath care professionals to provide care for our aging veteran population, as well as provide care services through non-VA facilities when appropriate. The cost of this expansion of respite care will be paid by freeing money already in the VA's budget that now goes to pay for other long term care options such as a permanent placement in a nursing home.

"Respite care ensures the independence of the veteran while also helping to ensure that his family members are relieved of some of their day to day responsibilities," Smith proclaimed. Smith's legislation would expand the definition from its current status of only allowing respite care to be provided by VA facilities to allowing a veteran to remain in his or her home or travel a short distance to a care facility. This is both easier on the veteran and saves money over a costly long term stay at a nursing home facility.

Smith's legislation has been endorsed by several veterans' organizations, including, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, and the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. Leo McKernan, the State Commander of the American Legion Department of New Jersey said, "The American Legion of New Jersey heartily endorses this needed legislation introduced by Congressman Chris Smith. One of the primary problems of veterans today is traveling long distances to obtain the care they need. The focus of the VA today is providing local care through outpatient clinics. Providing respite care locally would seem to be a natural extension of that policy."

Mike Wysong of the NJ VFW called Smith's work, "a step in the right direction toward the VFW priority goal of mandating VA long-term care."

"Because respite care is often the best of all possible worlds for veterans in need of health care, my legislation will push for respite care to become the norm, whenever needed," said Smith. Currently, the VA spends about $2 billion a year on long term care, of which, $1.7 billion is for nursing home care. Smith's bill will allow the VA to move away from its present overemphasis on nursing home care.

"The vast majority of health care services are already being provided in the home. If it were not for the millions of compassionate and courageous spouses and adult children caring for their loved ones at home, the costs of providing these services financially would be overwhelming. The key is to find ways to enable these care givers to continue providing care in the home. My legislation expanding the use of respite care within the VA health care system will make this possible."

Smith, Vice Chairman of the Veteran's Committee, is a longtime advocate of veterans. Recently he has been a leader in the push to increase spending on overall veterans' health care by $1.7 billion over Clinton's flat-line budget proposal.

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