My Memorial Day tribute to American Veterans, My Grandpa and My DAD, The Mustang Man!

1. American Veteran’s Aging and Quality of Life Aging and Long Term Care San Diego Christian College Summit Ridge 2011 Daleena Harker-Reid http://youtu.be/IFIhCV76G7A

2. The United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs In 2007, the median age of all living veterans was 60 years old The number of veterans 65 and older in 2008 - 9.2 million The median age for World War II veterans, in February 2009, was 86 years old. We lose 1,000 World War Veterans per day. The median age of Korean War veterans is 76 years of age. The average age of a Vietnam Veteran would be is 60-65 years old. Veterans make up 40% of the adult Social Security beneficiaries population. The number of Vietnam veterans who receive Social Security will increase in the coming decades, while the number of veterans from World War II and the Korean War will decline. According to the March 2004 Current Population Survey, 9.4 million military veterans receive old-age, disability, or survivor benefits from Social Security, accounting for almost one-quarter of the adult Social Security population. (Census.gov, wikipedia.org,veterans.info.net)

5. Treatment NeedsPTSD & American Veterans While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not officially recognized as a clinical condition until 1980 -- it was called "battle fatigue" or "shell shock" in wars prior to Vietnam -- there have been studies of the symptoms in earlier conflicts. WORLD WAR II-- The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder estimates that one of every 20 World War II veterans suffered symptoms such as bad dreams, irritability and flashbacks. According to Department of Veterans Affairs' statistics in 2004, 25, 000 World War II veterans were still receiving disability compensation for PTSD-related symptoms. By fiscal year 2005, the VA’s statistics indicated that PTSD was the fourth most common service-related disability for service members receiving benefits. (veteransinfo.net, veternansnewsroom.com)

6. PTSD and Senior Veteranshttp://youtu.be/QAa3FjKxxOE Korean researcher claimed that as many as 30 percent of U.S. troops who fought in Korea and are still alive today may have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. A major VA study found that about 31 percent of men and 27 percent of women had suffered from PTSD at some point after their return from Vietnam. VA statistics in 2004 showed that 161,000 veterans were still receiving disability compensation for PTSD. (articles.sfgate.com)

7. American Veterans & Suicide http://youtu.be/EtfSOAk-npM & http://youtu.be/ycDZFKNAHEM Veterans are more than twice as likely as non-veterans to commit suicide and the “Katz Suicide Study,” dated February 21, 2008, found that suicide rates among veterans are approximately 3 times higher than in the general population. The VA’s data indicate that an average of four to five veterans commit suicide each day. A document from the VA Inspector General’s Office, dated May 10, 2007, indicates that the suicide rate among individuals in the VA’s care may be as high as 7.5 times the national average. According to the VA, there are approximately 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans seen in VA medical facilities. The VA has hired suicide prevention counselors at each of its 153 medical centers to help support the national suicide prevention hotline. (veterannewsroom.com, ssa.gov, honorflig.org)

8. Homelessness &American Veterans Approximately 150,000 of our nation’s veterans are homeless. During a 12-month period in 2009, an estimated 136,000 veterans, or about one in every 168 veterans, spent at least one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. Of the 289,328 veterans who entered VA care from 2002 to 2008, nearly 37% had mental health problems, including post traumatic stress disorder (about 22%) and depression (roughly 17%). (veteransinfo.net, veteransnewsroom.com, presstv http://youtu.be/T5Mj-U-DpD0 http://youtu.be/zs_jl48Gojo

9. Quality of Life &American Veterans It's important to never forget, honor and thank Veterans VA Benefits and Services available through Veterans Affairs VA Social Worker – Assessment, Crisis Intervention, High-risk screening, case management, advocacy, education, psychotherapy Healthcare and Benefits provided through VA facilities PTSD screening, assessment,and treatment Suicide Prevention and Veterans Crisis Line 800-273-8255 Homeless Veterans facility, coordinator and National Call Center for Homeless Veterans 800-4Aid-Vet or 877-424-3838 Allow them to tell their story and tell it for generations to come http://youtu.be/aYcHL7XSbtw & www.va.gov/geriatrics

10. One Veterans Story & His Answer to the Quality of Life

11. One Veterans Story & His Answer to the Quality of Life http://youtu.be/QExIkubD1a8