It’s Memorial Day weekend, a time when the cookouts and flag-waving roll in, and for a moment, we pause. This week, we’re doing more than remembering the fallen. We’re holding space for those who are still here: the veterans aging quietly around us, often without fanfare.

Focusing on what it means to care for the ones who once carried so much can be heavy. From WWII to Desert Storm, their battles didn’t end when they came home. The systems meant to support them—VA, Medicare, Aid & Attendance—can be a maze. If you're navigating it with or for a veteran, you're doing sacred work. And we’re thankful for your service too.

🎼 A concert, a camera, a connection. In Buffalo, the Philharmonic dedicated its Memorial Day tribute to caregivers of veterans. They even brought in a storytelling project, where caregivers used photography to say the things that don’t always come out in words. It was beautiful and quiet and strong, just like caregiving.

🧳 The Alzheimer’s Foundation shared ways to make Memorial Day weekend travel easier for caregivers of people with dementia. Tips like planning breaks, traveling early in the day, and remembering to go easy on yourself when things don’t go perfectly.

🎖️ Liz Wright from Connecticut was named a Dole Caregiver Fellow this week. She’s been caring for her veteran husband, and now she’s stepping up to speak for military families like hers.

🩺 A tribute to military medical personnel reminded us that caregiving isn’t just something that happens at home, it’s happened on battlefields and in tents, in silence and in service.

🇺🇲 The National Council on Aging shared 18 benefits that could make life easier for veterans and their caregivers. From health care and housing to financial help and education, it’s a reminder that support is out there.

🪖 Rendever’s virtual reality platform is transforming care for veterans by immersing them in familiar, meaningful environments that spark connection and memory. It’s more than technology—it’s a powerful way to fight loneliness and bring moments of joy to those who’ve served.

📘 This Memorial Day, we’re looking back with The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson, a moving tribute to the soldiers of WWI’s 28th Infantry Regiment. Nelson's quest is deeply personal, sparked by his grandfather's silence about the war. Pieced together through letters, diaries, and family stories, it’s a powerful reminder of the lives behind the history.

They don’t ask for much, most of them. A strong cup of coffee. A good chair. A system that doesn’t make them fight twice. And maybe someone who remembers what they gave. Veterans, especially older ones, walk among us with a kind of quiet gravity. They’ve seen more than most of us ever will. And as age settles in, they often do so with fewer people asking how they’re really doing, and even less remembering what they did for our country. 

Today, we are losing our World War II veterans at a rapid pace. Out of the over 16 million Americans who served, fewer than 67,000 are still alive, with most in their late 90s or older. Their numbers may be small now, but their legacy looms large.

There are still around 700,000 living veterans who served in the Korean War, many now well into their 90s. Over 5.1 million Vietnam War veterans are also still alive, with their average age hovering around 75. These are men and women who came home to different kinds of welcomes, but similar kinds of wounds. And they’re aging—fast.

Even the veterans of Desert Storm, the 1990–91 Gulf War, are graying. About 700,000 Americans served in that conflict, and their average age is now around 55. These are not young soldiers anymore. They’re entering new battles with arthritis, diabetes, PTSD, and conditions tied to burn pit exposure and Gulf War Syndrome.

Caring for an aging veteran is not like caring for anyone else. There’s history in the room with them. Scars that don’t always show up on medical charts. Some days are calm. Others come with the fog of memory loss, service-related illness, or pain that outlasted war. Many rely on care from the VA, Medicare, or both. It often means juggling paperwork that reads more like code than care. And if you’re the one helping them through it, whether as family or caregiver or both, you know the patchwork of services is often more complex than it should be.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides health care specifically tailored to veterans, including those who served in combat or sustained service-connected injuries. From physical therapy to mental health services, the VA aims to address both the visible and invisible wounds of war.

Medicare, which kicks in at age 65 can work alongside VA benefits. For vets who don’t live near a VA facility or need care outside the VA system, Medicare can sometimes cover what the VA can’t. But managing both takes patience and a good grasp of what each one pays for. The VA site has a Q&A for veterans with questions about Medicare.

And then there’s TRICARE—the military’s own health care program—which adds another piece to an already complicated puzzle. For military retirees and their families, TRICARE can step in where Medicare and VA care leave off. It’s not either-or. In fact, many veterans use all three together. It’s a system that, when it works, can offer broader access and better outcomes. When it doesn’t, it feels like an alphabet soup of coverage rules and eligibility charts. TRICARE often covers services Medicare doesn’t, and if you're enrolled in both, Medicare usually pays first, with TRICARE as secondary. The VA, on the other hand, only pays for care it authorizes in advance. So yes, it’s a dance and not always a graceful one. But understanding how TRICARE, VA, and Medicare work together can be the difference between getting the care you need or getting lost in the shuffle. There’s a helpful breakdown of TRICARE For Life and Medicare coverage here. Earlier this year, the National Council on Aging published a helpful article on how Medicare, TRICARE For Life and VA benefits work together.

There are also programs like Aid & Attendance, which can help veterans or their surviving spouses with long-term care costs if they need help with daily activities. 

If it feels like a lot, it’s because it is. What’s clear is this: honoring veterans doesn’t end with parades and folded flags. It’s found in the daily grind of managing coverage, appointments, and medications. If you’re walking that road beside an aging vet, know this, what you’re doing matters. And much like our appreciation for them, we have a deep respect for you too.

Helpful care enablement products and services we’ve identified and researched so you don’t have to. 

Not a product this week, but the VA Caregiver Support Program (CSP) offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to promote the health and well-being of family caregivers who support our nation's veterans. Available at every VA facility, CSP provides:

These services are available to caregivers of veterans enrolled in the VA health care system.