We move now to Veterans Day and the crucial role of caregivers.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation estimates there are 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers in the U.S.

That's about 5.5% of all U.S.

adults.

Former U.S.

Senator Elizabeth Dole started the foundation in 2012 after seeing caregivers' struggles firsthand when her husband, the late Senator Bob Dole, had to spend nearly a year at Walter Reed.

Each year, her foundation selects a class of Dole Caregiver Fellows--they're military and veteran caregivers who become advocates for others in their position--and this year's class of 23 caregivers from 19 states includes Las Vegas caregiver Serena Guimarey.

(Unknown speaker) Is it goat cheese?

-I think it is goat cheese.

-The Guimareys have a busy household; and in 2023, they added another member.

(Paul Dannenberg) I've been here for three years, and it's a godsend.

-Paul Dannenberg, whose grandchildren call him Papa, is a U.S.

Army Vietnam veteran.

(Serena Guimarey) As a result of being in the Vietnam War, he was exposed to Agent Orange, which led to him having cancer.

And he has dementia, diabetes, neuropathy, high blood pressure as well.

-Serena Guimarey is Dannenberg's daughter, and she's also his caregiver, a role she assumed when she reshuffled her life and moved him into her Las Vegas home.

-He was in the veteran home down in Boulder City, and my oldest daughter would drive on her own to go visit him.

And one day she came home, and she was just like, "Why?

Why does Papa have to live here?

Why can't you move him in with us?"

-I started to notice that my papa wasn't really himself anymore.

He seemed a little more quiet.

He didn't seem like he was fully enjoying himself, and so I came home one day and I told my mom that I think we need to move him into our house.

-Becoming a full-time caregiver, I did have to make a change to my typical traditional work.

Luckily, the VA does offer a program.

They have two programs.

So they have PCGSS, which is a general service program to support caregivers.

Most everyone gets into the general.

And then they have a stipend program called PCAFC.

And luckily, we were able to qualify for that.

And so then I have a stipend that I receive, which really helps, obviously, our family to be able to sustain.

(Amber Renee Dixon) Testifying before Congress last year, the head of the VA's caregiver program said the VA receives about 9,000 applications for caregiver stipends each month and only approves about 30 to 33% of them.

-It's a difficult program to get into.

Luckily, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation has a resource that helps caregivers go through the process to reapply to appeal the decision.

-This year, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation named Serena Guimarey a Dole Caregiver Fellow, recognizing her work to support caregivers of aging veterans like her father.

-But that's the kind of person she is.

She works very hard.

And there's a need for it.

-Although the VA provides excellent healthcare, I think the biggest challenge is the VA system, right, is navigating that VA system.

And I feel that's where our veterans fall through the cracks and don't get the service that they need.

I know I experienced that myself as being my dad's caregiver.

I had about a month-long battle, if you will, with the VA to secure him his therapeutic shoes that he needs.

And one of the days it was eight hours on the phone.

-Serena is what the Elizabeth Dole Foundation calls a hidden hero--and her children, hidden helpers.

-He likes my grilled cheese the best.

He always, he always says that.

-We play cards every night.

We do jigsaw puzzles.

He builds Legos.

I think having him here is great for his mental health, and I also think it's amazing for my kids, right, to see that we do these things for our parents.

-I know they like me, the way they treat me.

-The Guimareys say their papa lets his gratitude be known.

-He tells us, like, every-- He tells us every night.

When I go in to say good night, he always says, like--he always says he loves you so much and that he's just so grateful.

-And his caregiver and daughter says it's an honor.

-Because it's a privilege to be able to serve him.

Like, it brings me joy to serve my dad.