“Hero’s Bridge https://herosbridge.org/ is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Veterans 65 and older.
The organization’s mission is to bridge our Veterans to a better quality of life through age-specific and innovative programs. These services are available to our heroes wherever they call home, at no expense to them or their families.”
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“Veterans account for 25% of the senior U.S. population. Plus, of the 16.5 million Veterans in the country, 50% are seniors, a staggering number when you think of it.
Among those senior Veterans, the vast majority served in Vietnam and the next-highest number served in Korea. Our World War II Veteran numbers are dwindling but still represented. Those who served in the Gulf War are now part of the silver tsunami as their numbers are growing.
Where are they landing?
Many of our esteemed senior Veterans transitioned into civilian life fully functional and embodying resilience and tenacity. But there are those whose scars ran much deeper and found life as a civilian challenging, most often in maintaining healthy personal and professional relationships. These challenges affected marriages and families, employment and personal wellness.
Initiative features four core programs
Hero’s Bridge is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Veterans 65 and older. Molly Brooks, the CEO and founder of Hero’s Bridge, stood up and said, “Not one more Vet will live out their golden years in lonely hardship.” The organization’s mission is to bridge our Veterans to a better quality of life through age-specific and innovative programs. These services are available to our heroes wherever they call home, at no expense to them or their families.
The Hero’s Bridge mission is fulfilled through four core programs.
The “Battle Buddy” program pairs elderly Veterans with a dedicated younger Veteran trained to use the rapidly growing community health worker philosophy to provide direct in-home services. A thorough quality-of-life assessment is performed and a personalized frequency of visits is established. Referrals will be made to the other programs of Hero’s Bridge, VA benefits and community partners to meet needs and “bridge” the elderly Veteran to a healthier, more supported existence.
Many of the homes our heroes live in served their families well decades ago. But those homes are difficult to maintain as Veterans age. Some homes are very old and in extreme disrepair, while others require modifications, such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps, to help the aging stay in place and maintain independence. Yard work may also be too difficult a task for the heroes we serve, especially during the change of seasons. Faced with fixed incomes, our Veterans often do not have funds to make repairs. Our “Home Front” team assists with maintenance issues, cleaning, safety assessments and yard work so our heroes maintain a safe and comfortable home.
Senior Veterans deserve respect and gratitude
Unfortunately, the nearly 10 million senior Veterans were never given respect and gratitude for their service. Many of our nation’s heroes, especially those who served in Vietnam, returned home and experienced animosity and disrespect from those who opposed the war. As Veterans age, Hero’s Bridge recognizes that they often need a way to reflect on their time in service and reprocess those experiences in a healthy constructive way.
Our “Honor Guard” team provides many services, such as replacing lost medals, finding lost comrades, recording life stories, holding portrait sessions and hosting Veteran socials. We involve volunteers from the community, especially youth, wherever possible. This program places special emphasis on serving the sometimes-overlooked Veterans in nursing facilities and care homes.
Many of our heroes have lost or had to give up pets that were dear to them. Others are having difficulty caring for pets they have loved for years. Recognizing the positive impact of pets in our Veterans lives, our “Paw Patrol” team arranges home and nursing facility pet visits. They also help the Veteran care for aging pets and help find loving new homes when our Veterans makes that difficult decision.
This is honorable work serving a venerable population. These Veterans fought for us. Now, we fight for them.”
For additional information on Hero’s Bridge, contact CEO and founder Molly Brooks at mbrooks@herosbridge.org. If you know an aging Veteran who needs help, call 540-341-5378 or go to this page.”
https://news.va.gov/120575/heros-bridge-better-quality-life-65-and-older/
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