Cover Stories Aging Veterans: The Forgotten Heroes
November 13, 2014
By Gregory C. Scott,
President & CEO, New Directions for Veterans
The need to serve all veterans continues to be a true dynamic, especially here in Los Angeles, we can never ignore. As a nation, we must be veteran-centric, results-oriented, focused, and committed to the eradication of the many issues facing our heroes. Most of all we can’t forget.
It is clear, based on a report by the Department of Veteran Affairs, that 22 former servicemen and women commit suicide every day. Of those who commit suicide daily, 7 out of 10 are over the age of 50.
Tragically, veteran homelessness continues to be a major concern in American cities, especially among older veterans. Veterans are over-represented in this population; they are 15% of the homeless population in general. On any given night, there are over 68,000 unsheltered heroes; more likely to be older and male. Many suffering from mental health issues like dementia, and PTSD, while dealing with substance use of heroin, and alcohol. With these forces, depression, physical ailments, and ultimate death on the streets are prevalent among these older veterans as well.
The sad part is our older veterans who are suffering on the streets have had a history of homelessness for decades. If we were to just look at the Vietnam era war, which ended in 1975, and many of them are still homeless today. We can see our aging veterans continue to suffer with no real solution. The stressors of war, homelessness, hopelessness, and decreasing social networks yield a starch reality that be corrected.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are close to19.6 million veterans in the United States. Female veterans represent approximately 1.6 million of that number. 11.3% of veterans are African American.
Additionally, 79.3 percent were non-Hispanic white; 1.4 percent were Asian;.7 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native;0.2 percent were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; 1.2 percent were some other race. Veterans over 65 years of age number close to 9.3 million. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs it is estimated California has approximately
1.9 million veterans. Of these, about 185,000 are women. Almost one million are currently over the age of 60.
California is home to nearly 26 percent of all homeless veterans in the United States. Los Angeles County alone accounts for 10 percent of the nation’s homeless veterans. According to HUD’s 2012
Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Population Sub- count, California is home to 4,512 veterans living in temporary housing or shelters and 11,949 veterans living on the streets or in places unintended for human habitation .from 2011 to 2013 veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County decreased, but there’s still an alarming number of veterans that are without shelter; having no place to call home. These numbers include quite a few elderly.
In 2009 President Barrack Obama vowed to end veteran homelessness within five years. The Veterans Affairs Department also made a pledge to end homelessness among veterans, with a focus on getting all homeless veterans off the streets by 2015. In order to see true results, efforts must begin at the top and trickle down through-out the states, counties and cities across the country.
The bad news is our veterans are aging and are dealing with issues of homelessness, physical and mental health, and in danger of being forgotten.
The good news is the nation has an opportunity to step up and “never for- get”. Housing with supportive services focused on the needs of elderly veterans is a vital strategy in ending this epidemic.
These veterans, who are at a different stage in their life-cycle, and may never work a career job, still need our support to ensure the opportunity for a better quality of life as citizens of this great nation. need quality leadership across the country working together to really make the difference for our nation’s heroes. Many of our veterans are tormented by the circumstances that both war and living on the streets has afforded them. It is outrageous for any veteran to be homeless and without proper healthcare, especially our elderly. We must return to a time when we honor and respect our seniors and appreciate what they have sacrificed for our well-being today.
Saying, “Thank you for your service”, isn’t enough. Time to do something.