Mental Health and Aging Veterans: How the Veterans Health Administration Meets the Needs of Aging Veterans

Abstract

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is charged with fulfilling President Lincoln’s promise, “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan,” by serving, honoring, and providing health care to America’s veterans. This mission makes the VHA unique among health-care organizations in the United States. The VHA is committed to providing care for veterans with complex medical and mental health needs. Establishing programs and methods to meet these needs while considering shifting geographic and demographic variables among veterans and medical centers has, at times, been challenging. But these challenges have provided opportunities for innovation and the exploration of ways to address and overcome barriers. This article provides an overview of the veteran population and the complexity of medical and mental health issues faced by older adults and older veterans. It examines two VHA programs that meet the complex mental health needs of aging veterans, and highlights ways that VHA policy has supported innovations that address the mental health of aging veterans.