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By Lance Robertson, ACL Administrator and
Assistant Secretary for Aging
Today, all of us at ACL join our nation in honoring those
who have served in the military and recognizing the vital role they play
in preserving our freedom.
As a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, it is an honor to work
alongside so many at ACL who have served in the armed forces. Over the
last few years, we've introduced some of them through our Facebook
album, and we’ve added a few more faces this year – I hope
you’ll take a minute to check it out!
It also is a great honor to be able to serve older veterans
and veterans with disabilities through many of our programs.
For example, with funding from a grant from ACL, Michigan
State University Extension offers a Tai Chi program to help older
veterans maintain balance and prevent falls. The program is one of many
evidence-based falls
prevention programs ACL funds around the country that have
been proven to reduce falls, the fear of falling, and fall-related
injuries in older adults.
Like so many ACL grantees, Michigan State is offering
virtual programming in order to help participants stay safe. One veteran
said doing Tai Chi at home was "perfect," noting that the
format was especially helpful for veterans with post-traumatic stress
disorder during the pandemic.
"We have good days and not so good days," the
veteran wrote. "Yet, with the online courses, we can ‘shelter in
place’ and still participate and interact, or not, with the other
participants."
Another ACL grantee, the University of Illinois at
Chicago, hosted a series of online classes on health and wellness for
older women veterans this summer. The peer support classes used the
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP®) approach, which includes
identifying wellness tools and habits, recognizing early warning signs,
and developing crisis and post-crisis plans. Participants used the
approach to address anxiety, trouble sleeping, COVID-19 social
restrictions, and unhealthy eating.
UIC is one of ACL’s Chronic
Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) grantees. CDSME
programs provide older adults and adults with disabilities with education
and tools to help better manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart
disease, arthritis, chronic pain, and depression.
ACL also partners with the Veterans Health Administration on
another innovative program to help veterans stay healthy and live
independently in the community. The Veteran
Directed Care program provides veterans of all ages who are
eligible for nursing home care the opportunity to direct their own
long-term services and supports in the community. The veterans decide for
themselves what mix of goods and services best meet their needs, manage
their own flexible budgets, and hire and supervise their own workers.
In Colorado Springs, CO the program is helping a 69-year-old
retired veteran living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) receive
around-the-clock care at home. He started the program, run by his VA
Medical Center and the Independence Center (a center for independent
living), last year after a three-month hospital stay for severe
respiratory distress. He employs 8-10 people, including family members,
who provide daily support and care, with a registered nurse providing
weekly support and health monitoring. The program has made it possible
for him to live at home where he is surrounded by family, and a part of
his grandchildren's lives.
The program’s flexibility and veteran-centered approach have
been particularly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic as the ability to
compensate family members for the work of caregiving has allowed many
veterans in the program to reduce the number of people with whom they
come into close contact. The Independence Center has enrolled 48
additional veterans into the program since the start of the pandemic and
61% of caregivers employed through the program are family members.
The participants of these three programs are just a few of
the many veterans ACL and our networks have the honor of serving. As I
have said before, we believe that helping veterans preserve their
independence is one of the best ways we can honor the sacrifices they
made to preserve our nation's independence.
To all those who have served this country, thank you! | 
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