For many of us in the United States, military service touches our lives, whether through family, friends, or our communities. Our veterans have sacrificed so much and genuinely deserve our heartfelt gratitude, compassion, and care. Sadly, many of these brave individuals feel isolated and face daily challenges with tasks most of us take for granted, like preparing meals, keeping up with household chores, or managing their own wellbeing.
As veterans grow older, it becomes more important to provide the support they need to remain independent at home. After years spent in service to our country, these individuals deserve dignity, comfort, and attentive care. By investing in the health of our senior veterans, we help them enjoy a higher quality of life and honor their commitment to us all.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes these needs and provides veterans home care funding in Palmer Lake, CO, to assist servicepeople and their loved ones. What many families don't realize is that long-term care options - including in-home care - are included in programs like ameriCARE's Veteran CARE services.
Today, many of our veterans are vulnerable to a variety of issues that can impact their quality of life. However, through our Veteran CARE services, we're able to provide customized, compassionate care that addresses those issues and provides families like yours with peace of mind. Whether they're returning from combat with new health challenges or simply need an extra hand throughout the day as they age, our team is here to help.
Our agency owners are dedicated to guiding veterans through the process of accessing their benefits and understanding their eligibility. This important service, available at many of our franchise locations, empowers veterans to overcome the often confusing world of entitlements. With empathy and expertise, we strive to honor veterans by delivering personalized care and knowledgeable guidance, supporting them in living fuller, more independent lives.
The VA offers valuable benefits that include coverage for home health aide and homemaker services to veterans who require help with daily living activities. Through collaboration with one of our care partners, we learned that, out of more than 8 million veterans in the VA healthcare system aged 65 and older, only about 150,000 are utilizing this support. This means fewer than 2 percent of eligible veterans are getting the care they've rightfully earned. In some cases, such as with "Aid and Attendance," surviving spouses of veterans may also be eligible for benefits.
ameriCARE is committed to linking veterans and seniors nationwide with compassionate, highly trained caregivers from their own communities. We're proud to say that our mission goes beyond care - in fact, we're happy to help guide veterans and their families through the complexities of the VA system, offering hands-on support during the entire approval process. Many of our franchise owners team members are veterans themselves, who are dedicated to ensuring you or your loved one receives reliable, personalized care at home.
Regardless of how long they served, many military veterans leave service with a litany of health issues - both mental and physical. Some of the most common problems that older veterans face after leaving the military include
Research from the National Center for PTSD reveals that as many as 23% of veterans will experience post-traumatic stress disorder during their lifetime. For some, symptoms may not surface until later years, often following retirement. Notably, the development or worsening of PTSD in older adults has been linked to an increased risk of dementia, suggesting a complex relationship between trauma and cognitive decline as veterans age.
A recent study featured in the National Library of Medicine examined the prevalence of malnutrition among older veterans receiving home-based primary care. The researchers discovered that 15% of these individuals were classified as malnourished, highlighting a significant health concern within this population. Malnutrition in elderly veterans can lead to a range of complications, such as weakened immune response, slower recovery from illness, and increased risk of hospitalization. These issues underscore the need for veterans home care funding in Palmer Lake, CO that helps seniors with eating and nutrition challenges.
Studies show that older veterans face a 25% higher likelihood of reporting multiple chronic health issues compared to their nonveteran peers. This trend underscores the unique health challenges veterans may encounter as they age, which often stem from service-related injuries, stress, and more.
Veterans often carry the weight of their service, having endured challenging circumstances and shouldered responsibility for the security of others. As they grow older, preserving their sense of independence becomes deeply intertwined with their mental and emotional health. For many, shifting from self-reliance to accepting help with everyday activities can be a significant adjustment.
A skilled caregiver who understands veterans' unique backgrounds can make this transition smoother. Building trust through respect for personal boundaries, clear communication, and trauma-informed care is essential to fostering a strong partnership between veterans and their in-home caregivers.
Many ameriCARE locations provide their caregivers with specialized training to better support our veterans as veteran cases can be complex and deserve tailored care.
Our caregivers offer support with meal preparation, grocery shopping, and managing dietary needs. They also encourage healthy habits and lifestyle choices, ensuring you or your loved one receives personalized nutrition and wellness guidance.
Tasks like bathing, using the restroom, getting dressed, and maintaining oral hygiene can become challenging because of aging or ongoing health conditions. Our dedicated caregivers are specially trained to assist with these personal routines and always prioritize the veteran's comfort, privacy, and self-esteem.
A tidy living space does more than promote good hygiene. It fosters a sense of comfort, security, and overall wellbeing. Our caregivers help with everyday household tasks, making sure your home remains a safe, inviting, and organized environment.
When driving becomes a challenge, whether for you or a veteran family member, our caregivers step in to help. They can handle errands such as grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, ensuring appointments are kept, and providing reliable support for many other daily needs.
In-home caregivers from ameriCARE are dedicated to supporting your loved one's mobility and safety. From accompanying them on short walks to guiding them through physical therapy routines, we help promote regular movement and keep them engaged in activities that support their health and independence.
Our caregivers foster engagement by offering gentle support and uplifting encouragement. We create opportunities for veterans to participate in enriching activities, make social connections, and develop genuine bonds with their in-home caregivers.
We can accompany you or the older veteran in your life to medical appointments. We can also help relay any information or instructions provided by doctors.
Coping with the effects of aging, disability, or recovery from injury often involves juggling multiple medications with specific timing and dosages. Our caregivers can help ensure that you or your veteran loved one receives the correct medications at the right times, providing peace of mind while supporting overall health.
Our comprehensive care extends to beloved pets as well. We can assist with daily dog walks, feeding routines, arranging transportation for vet visits, and maintaining pet hygiene. By helping with day-to-day chores like pet care, we help enhance the wellbeing of senior veterans and their animal companions.
While many veterans have a primary care physician or a home health care professional, they may still need a real human connection beyond medical care. Veteran-funded home care can help you or your loved one maintain a more balanced life, one visit at a time. That's where ameriCARE comes in. We work tirelessly to connect dedicated, welltrained, and dependable caregivers to veterans across the United States.
If you're looking for a locally-owned home care company that provides veterans with personalized support, Request More Info today. It would be our honor to help you and your family navigate the VA and to act as your liaison throughout the benefit approval process.
Ready to get started on your journey with ameriCARE? Request More Info today to schedule your consultation and learn more information about how we can assist you or your senior loved one.
The same day the Town of Palmer Lake announced that an application to bring a Buc-ee's travel center to town had been withdrawn, the city of Pueblo's "Advance Pueblo" Facebook page posted a reminder that Pueblo is "open for business."It was announced on Feb. 4, 2026, that Monument Ridge West LLC, a developer hoping to open the chain's second Colorado travel center in Palmer Lake, withdrew an annexation application. Three months and three weeks prior, when the proposed Palmer Lake location was facing community resis...
The same day the Town of Palmer Lake announced that an application to bring a Buc-ee's travel center to town had been withdrawn, the city of Pueblo's "Advance Pueblo" Facebook page posted a reminder that Pueblo is "open for business."
It was announced on Feb. 4, 2026, that Monument Ridge West LLC, a developer hoping to open the chain's second Colorado travel center in Palmer Lake, withdrew an annexation application. Three months and three weeks prior, when the proposed Palmer Lake location was facing community resistance, Pueblo City Council unanimously approved a resolution asking Buc-ee's to consider Colorado's Steel City.
"You may have heard the news about Buc-ee's leaving Palmer Lake and looking for a new location in Colorado," the Feb. 4 Advance Pueblo Facebook post said. "As a reminder, Pueblo is open for business! With great access to the I-25 and Hwy 50 corridor, we know Pueblo is a great location for a travel center and for businesses like Buc-ee's."
Pueblo Public Works Director Andrew Hayes told the Chieftain on Feb. 9 that Pueblo is "courting all businesses" interested in setting up shop in the city.
"Buc-ee's is obviously a very prominent case study because of everything going on in Palmer Lake," Hayes said. "We'd love to welcome them or any other businesses looking to come."
Last summer, Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham proposed changes to the city's half-cent sales tax criteria that would expand funds to be used for economic development projects beyond the traditional scope of "primary jobs." A new Buc-ee's and a Costco were among the potential projects mentioned.
While changes to the criteria ordinance were voted down by last year's council, it could be a different story with new council members in 2026. Hayes said the new council will have an opportunity to approve changes to the criteria ordinance.
"It would make other types of projects eligible when they make sense," Hayes said. "Ultimately, council would still retain authority to budget and appropriate funds towards those projects, but it could be used for something like Buc-ee's or anything."
Buc-ee's has over 50 locations in the U.S. The majority of them are located in the chain's home state of Texas. The first Colorado location opened on March 18, 2024, in Johnstown. The Johnstown site remains the chain's only Colorado location as of Feb. 9, 2026, according to the Buc-ee's website.
Hayes said Pueblo's location at the "crossroads" of Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 50 makes it a unique location for a travel center chain that caters to non-commercial traffic.
"They have a niche market and Pueblo is sitting at the crossroads of a lot of places that people travel to and from here in Colorado," he said. "Whether you are going west to the mountains, north to Denver, east out to the plains, south to New Mexico, Texas — we're right in the middle of it and this is a great spot for somebody looking to capture the benefits of that traffic."
'Give Kids a Chance Act' named for Pueblo teen signed into law by TrumpPueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at [email protected]. Support local news; subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.
Since an annexation request to the town of Palmer Lake to build Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s was withdrawn in early February, not much has officially happened with the land aside from a boundary line adjustment filed with El Paso County.That move was approved Tuesday morning.But that doesn’t mean opponents of the mega travel center, proposed about 50 miles south of the metro area in an unincorporated area along Interstate 25, are resting easy.They have turned their attention to El Paso County with a persi...
Since an annexation request to the town of Palmer Lake to build Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s was withdrawn in early February, not much has officially happened with the land aside from a boundary line adjustment filed with El Paso County.
That move was approved Tuesday morning.
But that doesn’t mean opponents of the mega travel center, proposed about 50 miles south of the metro area in an unincorporated area along Interstate 25, are resting easy.
They have turned their attention to El Paso County with a persistent letter-writing campaign. They have pushed back against the chain — famous for its clean bathrooms, Texas-style barbecue and red-capped beaver mascot — over concerns about water usage, traffic congestion, pressure on infrastructure and more.
Their comments have since been filed and made available to the public under the county’s Electronic Development Application Review Program website.
“This project threatens to impose significant challenges on our community, including increased traffic congestion, insufficient infrastructure, strain on natural resources, and disruption to the area’s character,” wrote Monument resident Madeline Klaman to officials.
“While I support responsible and thoughtful development, a Buc-ee’s megastore is not aligned with the needs, values, or long-term interests of our community.”
North Woodmoor resident Becky Saydak said she was dismayed to find out the proposal is being considered by El Paso County.
“Monument and Palmer Lake have already rejected this proposal. I know that the governor and our senators have weighed in on the matter by writing to the head of Buc-ee’s to state that they welcome the business in Colorado but asked them not to build on that particular location,” Saydak said.
“I personally feel that there may be other locations in El Paso County (such as south of Colorado Springs) that would be better suited to a development of that size in non-residential and protected wildlife areas.”
Buc-ee’s had proposed to develop nearly 25 acres, including a 74,000-square-foot retail convenience store, 120 fuel pumps, 12 electric vehicle charging stations and 780 parking spaces, according to a fiscal impact analysis report prepared last year by Economic & Planning Systems Inc.
Buc-ee’s was hoping to break ground in late summer 2025 with anticipated completion in late 2026, the report stated. The first Colorado Buc-ee’s opened in Johnstown in March of 2024.
However, as of Wednesday, no formal development plans for a Buc-ee’s have been submitted to El Paso County.
“We understand there is significant public interest in recent reports about a potential Buc-ee’s location in El Paso County,” said Scott Anderson, communications and public relations manager for the El Paso County Department of Communications in an email to The Post.
“At this time, El Paso County has not received a development application or proposal for a Buc-ee’s project. ”
El Paso County records show Interstate 25 Properties Ltd., a Colorado limited partnership, authorized Vertex Consulting Services LLC, in January to submit an application requesting approval for a boundary line adjustment between two unplatted parcels of land, totaling approximately 53.4 acres.
The parcels are located along Beacon Lite Road and County Line Road, near I-25. Monument Ridge West LLC, owns the County Line Road parcel, which had been planned as the location for Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s travel center.
Anderson said a boundary line adjustment changes the property line between two adjacent parcels. He added that the action does not allow construction or commercial activity, nor does it grant any zoning change or permit any land use beyond the existing regulations.
However, Anderson also said that a project such as constructing a Buc-ee’s would require a transparent public process.
“While we have not yet received a development application, assuming a Buc-ee’s model similar to that in other jurisdictions, a public hearing is required to determine the use classification (i.e. whether the application meets the Land Development Code’s existing definitions). Additional hearings may be required depending on the form of the application. However, at this point, the county has not received an application for site construction,” Anderson said.
The debate over Buc-ee’s has stretched for more than a year, sparking controversy and upheaval in the Tri-Lakes area.
Opposition to the development contributed to the resignation of Palmer Lake’s former mayor and sparked lawsuits, petitions, letters, a recall election and complaints to the Colorado attorney general, drawing attention from local residents, officials, community organizations and one of the nation’s wealthiest landowners.
In September, Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper even sent a letter to Arch ‘Beaver’ Aplin III, CEO of Buc-ee’s, urging him to reconsider the proposed Palmer Lake location.
On March 3, the Monument Town Council and Mayor Mitch LaKind submitted a letter to the El Paso County Planning and Community Development Department formally objecting to the administrative approval of the BLA.
“This project involves a complex history of land manipulation that should require a public hearing and a higher level of scrutiny than an administrative review allows,” the letter stated.
“As the elected representatives of the neighboring jurisdiction, we believe this project, as currently proposed, circumvents the spirit of the El Paso County Land Development Code and ignores the significant regional impacts on our community.”
The council’s objection is based on potential impairment of water rights and well permits, inconsistency in “Legal Lot” status, improper project segmentation and topographical change and technical discrepancies in public safety data.
Representatives from Interstate 25 Properties and Vertex Consulting Services did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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