Nearly half of the nation’s veterans are now over age 65 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). As the veteran population ages, their needs are aging with them.
Our first blog in the #VeteransCare Series focused on the challenges that co-occur early on military transition. This second blog explores what co-occurring needs look like for older veterans and why coordinated care becomes even more essential with age.
Physical Health, Mental Health, and Chronic Illness
Health is the area where co-occurring needs are most visible. Research from Texas State University shows that older veterans experience higher rates of chronic physical illness, mobility challenges, and disability compared to their civilian peers (NIH, 2021). But these health concerns rarely exist in isolation. They influence and are influenced by financial pressure, social isolation, caregiving responsibilities, and access to long-term supportive environments.
In a previous report by NNSI, our team described how physical and mental health often appear as co-occurring needs. Physical health needs frequently co-occur with mental health, behavioral health, food assistance, and help navigating VA benefits. Mental health needs often overlap with behavioral health challenges, family support needs, and benefits navigation. Interviews with providers consistently emphasized the importance of whole-person care—approaches that consider how these needs connect rather than treating each in isolation. Strengthening family and peer support is especially important, as weak support systems contribute to more severe psychiatric symptoms and substance use, while strong peer support can improve early recovery outcomes.
Loneliness and Social Isolation
Loneliness is a pervasive issue for older adults across the country, not just for veterans. National research consistently shows that aging itself is a significant risk factor for social isolation, driven by changes in mobility, shrinking social networks, retirement, and the loss of close relationships. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau (2023) similarly indicates that loneliness rates among senior veterans are comparable to those of senior civilians. However, that does not make the issue any less relevant for veterans. Nearly half of older veterans report experiencing at least one characteristic of isolation, which in turn leads to a range of health problems.
Financial Vulnerability and Housing Stability
Finances take on new meaning in later life. Many older veterans rely on fixed incomes—VA disability payments, pensions, or Social Security—all of which may be insufficient in high-cost housing markets.
Even though overall veteran homelessness has declined substantially over the past decade, the share of older veterans experiencing homelessness remains high. Veterans in the 55–64 age group make up the most significant proportion of veterans experiencing homelessness at 38.3%, despite representing only 19.6% of the overall veteran population (Congress, 2023). This overrepresentation highlights how aging, fixed incomes, health problems, and social isolation combine to increase vulnerability to housing instability.
Navigating Complex Systems
Older veterans often interact with an intricate network of systems: Medicare, VA health care, private insurance, home-based primary care, caregiver support programs, and community services.
The VA’s Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) division offers robust programs—Home-Based Primary Care, Medical Foster Home programs, and Geriatric Evaluation units—but many veterans struggle to navigate these services or even know they exist.
Multiple overlapping needs can make system navigation harder:
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Mobility limits make in-person appointments difficult
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Cognitive changes make paperwork overwhelming
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Financial strain makes long-term care decisions stressful
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Social isolation means fewer people helping with coordination
This creates what researchers call a “care fragmentation loop”—a cycle in which unmet needs accumulate simply because the veteran cannot access the right doorway into services.
Conclusion
For senior veterans, needs evolve into more complex patterns that demand coordinated, compassionate care. For further reading, read NNSI’s guide on providing holistic care to veterans.
Written by Jenna Jeon (Class of ’27)