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 Milwaukie, OR, 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 Milwaukie, OR 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.
Clackamas County Children’s Commission renovates former art building into early learning center.About a year after an affordable housing complex opened at the site, the former Marylhurst University campus welcomed a new early learning center that will provide child care services, help get kids ready for kindergarten and support families in need.The nonprofit organization Clackamas County Children’s Commission held a grand opening for the new center, which will serve 61 children and include training and meeting spa...
About a year after an affordable housing complex opened at the site, the former Marylhurst University campus welcomed a new early learning center that will provide child care services, help get kids ready for kindergarten and support families in need.
The nonprofit organization Clackamas County Children’s Commission held a grand opening for the new center, which will serve 61 children and include training and meeting space, at the site Wednesday, Nov. 26.
The space used to be Marylhurst’s art building and the $4 million project to turn it into an early learning center required investment from the property owner, as well as funding from the state Legislature and federal Office of Head Start.
Filling a need
The center serves children from six weeks to 5 years old and classrooms include a teacher, teaching assistant and aide. The center also includes a family advocate and site supervisor.
“In the classrooms we’re focused on social and emotional learning. That looks like how to express your feelings, how to wait your turn, how to share with a friend, all the things they need in kindergarten to be successful,” Executive Director Darcee Kilsdonk said, adding that kids also learn early literacy and math skills.
While it also serves other functions, the project plays a role in addressing the current child care desert in Clackamas County — where there are hundreds of families who don’t have access to child care due to the lack of availability. The children’s commission also is working on projects in Gladstone and Milwaukie and has facilities across the Portland metro area.
“It’s a huge issue,” Kilsdonk said. “It’s part of the reason last year we converted 179 of our part-day preschool slots to full-day infant and toddler slots, because the community needs more infant and toddler care. They need preschool care too, but the need is much greater for infants and toddlers.”
‘Direct impact’
All 61 slots at the Marylhurst site are filled and there is a waitlist for additional slots. Families qualify for placement if they meet low-income guidelines, receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, have a family member on disability or are homeless. Center families receive parenting advice and guidance on things like child nutrition, nursing a sick child and financial literacy, as well as support finding housing if they need it.
The site also has ample space for training so organization staff learn things like child nutrition, recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect, and child safety. The commission hopes to invite other organizations to hold meetings there.
Dawn Hendricks, the chair of the board for Clackamas County Children’s Commission, was also excited about the potential for seniors at the nearby Mary’s Woods senior living facility to have the opportunity to volunteer and interact with the children.
Overall, Hendricks enjoyed seeing the project come to fruition at the grand opening.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “The first five years of life are so important for really forming a solid foundation for not only how children view the world and view learning but how they interact, their social and emotional development, how they enjoy learning, how they form relationships with others. To be able to create a really beautiful early learning center that is meeting the needs of children who may otherwise be at risk and may not have access to high quality early learning and care, it’s pretty exciting to see the direct impact our work is having in our community and the children and families who need it.”
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