Book excerpt: Today we meet again to determine the progress the Department has made in those intervening months to adjust its implementation plan and to do right by our veterans and their caregivers who have already given so much to us all. In response to the concerns of Members, advocates and stakeholders, VA changed its eligibility requirements and expedited the implementation of caregivers' benefits by publishing an interim final rule (IFR) on May 5, 2011. As the daughter of a full-time caregiver, I understand the profound impact injury can have, not only on the patient or the injured but also upon his or her family. Time is of the essence for these families, many of whom have sacrificed their personal, professional and financial security in order to take on full-time caregiving responsibilities for their veteran family member.