By: Jim Kordenbrock Jr., Gerontologist and Veteran
The early 1980s were a tough time for Veterans when I started my military career in ROTC. We were just coming off the end of the Vietnam War and four years of the Carter Administration that saw tremendous cuts in the military. Morale was low as was public sentiment towards Veterans. Fortunately, that all changed during the Reagan Administration, and the events of 9/11 created a resurgence in the positive attitude and respect towards Veterans that continues today. I believe every American owes our Veterans a great deal of respect given their tremendous sacrifices and the sacrifices made by their families.
When an individual decides to join the military, they are committing their life to defend our rights under the Constitution and the amazing freedoms we have as Americans. You may have read this quote from Goodreads.com, “A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life.” As of now, there are approximately 15.8 million Veterans in the United States, representing 6.1% of the total population (Census.gov, October 2024). Fortunately, there are many benefits for all Veterans, provided by both the US Government as well as the civilian private market.
For example, when you buy a product or use a service, ask the company if they provide a discount to Veterans. You will be surprised at how many companies offer Veteran Discounts. Here is a great site that highlights many of the discounts available to Veterans, https://www.military.com/discounts
The US Government through the Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a wonderful booklet that outlines the many programs and resources offered to Veterans called, “Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers.” You can access the booklet at https://department.va.gov/get-started/
I served during the Cold War in the 1980s and was fortunate to see firsthand what freedom truly means while flying along the border between East and West Germany against the Soviet Union prior to the Wall being torn down. I transitioned out of the military and currently own an in-home care franchise in South Orange County California called Home Instead. Our mission is to allow our older clients to stay in their home, or age in place, for as long as they want to. There are numerous studies that demonstrate the benefits to your overall health and wellbeing when aging in your home.
Many of our clients are Veterans and they don’t know about the wonderful services they may qualify for using their Veteran benefits. While this care can be expensive, as a Veteran, you may qualify to have the in-home care covered by a professional caregiver at no charge to you. We have helped our Veteran clients save tens of thousands of dollars on in-home care. This also includes coverage for the spouse of a Veteran who may be taking care of the Veteran. The booklet mentioned above outlines some of these in-home care programs.
It can sometimes feel overwhelming trying to navigate these programs. We can help. We have experts on staff who can work with you to take advantage of these amazing benefits. Please explore these programs and take advantage of these benefits offered to our Veterans, many at no cost to you. We would be honored to help Veterans get the benefits they deserve. Please call our multi-lingual staff, 24/7, at 949-347-6767 for help or further information. You’ve earned it!
Jim Kordenbrock, Jr.
