Critics Say VA Is Not Prepared For The Oncoming ‘Gray Tsunami’
Over the next eight years, the number of veterans in the VA healthcare system who are 70 years or older is expected to increase by 30 percent.
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As America's Veterans Grow Older, The VA Faces A Long-Term Care Crisis
Over the next eight years, the number of veterans in the VA healthcare system who are 70 years or older is expected to increase by 30 percent. The population the VA is required to cover for nursing home care - veterans who have a service-connected disability rating higher than 70 percent - is expected to double by 2024, hitting one million patients. The VA simply can't afford to care for all these veterans in traditional nursing home settings, said Teresa Boyd, the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Operations at the agency. (Denkmann, 8/23)