Your AARP
STANDING UP FOR VETERANS
AARP offers an array of resources to help those who served
Craig Nicholson, a 66-year-old Army veteran and first vice commander of the Kentucky branch of the National Association for Black Veterans, needed heart and kidney transplants two years ago. Fortunately, he and his wife, Judy Nicholson, both AARP veteran volunteers in Kentucky, knew exactly where to look for support: a booklet produced by AARP called the “AARP Veterans and Military Families Caregiver Guide.”
“[The guide] was something that we were aware of but didn’t use until we needed it. And once we needed it, we knew the value of the information inside,” Craig says.
Judy adds that it helped them organize details regarding expenses, travel, postsurgical activities and more.
The handbook is just one of the resources AARP has developed to help veterans, members of the military and their families with caregiving, postmilitary job transitions, dealing with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other issues.
“They served us, and this is our way of serving them,” says Juanita Jiménez-Soto, AARP’s national veterans and military families manager.
At aarp.org/vetresources, you’ll find downloadable handbooks on the following topics, among others:
Craig and Judy Nicholson
▶︎ Health benefits information. Use the “AARP Veterans and Military Families Health Benefits Navigator” guide to learn how to apply for VA, Pentagon and other health benefits and find free help online or over the phone by speaking with trained representatives.
▶︎ Help transforming your home. VA home modification grants help veterans build or buy adapted homes or adjust existing ones to live safely and comfortably. AARP has created a primer on home modification for those with certain service-related disabilities so you can live the life you want in a home you love.
▶︎ Support for caregivers. The AARP booklet the Nicholsons used highlights the steps of a caregiving journey: how to assess and address needs, create a plan, build a team and more. A related booklet offers comprehensive information on how caregivers can seek help managing the stress that comes with the role. AARP also has a financial workbook for home caregivers that can help with estate planning, paying for health care and other tasks. Call 877-333-5885 for more information. For more support, visit aarp.org/veterans, where you’ll find links to the following:
▶︎ Help with work and jobs. AARP’s Veterans and Military Spouse Job Center includes a free veterans career course, an online AARP Job Board to browse and a downloadable tool kit with more advice.
▶︎ Fraud victim support. Veterans and their families are nearly 40 percent more likely than civilians to lose money to scams. Identify scams targeting the military community by reading AARP’s fraud coverage, or get help by calling the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.
▶︎ Bargain rate for AARP membership. Veterans are eligible for up to 45 percent off AARP membership. Get one year for $15 when you sign up for automatic renewal, three years for $38 or five years for $55.
▶︎ Fulfilling a wish. AARP’s Wish of a Lifetime affiliate has helped thousands of older Americans, including veterans, achieve a dream. Go to wishofalifetime.org to read inspiring stories and nominate someone’s wish.
Veterans tell us AARP resources are the best place to find critical help. Judy Nicholson says, “If you can’t find it on the AARP website and you can’t find it on the veterans page, then it ain’t out there.”