Veterans representing multiple service branches joined leaders from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Virginia’s health and human resources agencies in Mechanicsville, VA to discuss the Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services (VD-HCBS) program, an innovative program that helps disabled veterans live in their own homes, rather than in nursing homes.

Each year, an estimated 5 million older adults are abused, neglected, or exploited. Older Americans lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually due to elder financial abuse and exploitation, funds that could be used to pay for basic needs such as housing, food, and medical care.