AARP to Lawmakers: Help Our Veterans Age in Place

We sent letters to lawmakers on the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs on Tuesday endorsing legislation that would help veterans remain in their homes as they age and support their family caregivers.

The Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act would expand access to Veterans Affairs (VA) home care programs, create a new online resource hub for veterans and their caregivers, and increase access to respite care for caregivers, among other measures.

“After their service, hard work and contributions to our society, America’s veterans deserve to live with independence, security and dignity,” Bill Sweeney, AARP’s senior vice president for government affairs, wrote in the letters. Sweeney noted that 3 in 4 people age 50-plus who responded to a recent AARP survey said they want to remain in their current homes and communities as long as possible and that veterans and their caregivers “need and deserve our support.”

In an effort to prioritize support for veterans and their loved ones, we recently launched the AARP Veterans Fraud Center to protect veterans and their families from fraud. And our Veterans Resources hub features a guide to navigating military health benefits, a veterans-specific job board, and free career and resume-writing guidance, among other resources. 

Read our letters to House and Senate lawmakers, and learn more about how we’re fighting for veterans and their loved ones.