Aid and Attendance Archives | Veterans Care Coordination™

Veteran of the Month May 2026: William Carter Duberry in Marine Corps dress uniform, on an American flag background

At just 17 years old, William “Carter” Duberry voluntarily enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He was born on December 31, 1956, and raised in the small town of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, located about 60 miles south of Nashville. Duberry was the second-oldest of four children, with two brothers and…

Veteran of the Month February 2026: James Bodenheimer as a young soldier standing in front of a tank, on an American flag background

James Bodenheimer was born on September 8, 1950, in Jefferson City, Tennessee. When he was three years old, his family moved to Knoxville, where he grew up on the outskirts of the city with two older sisters, a younger sister, and a younger brother. He remarked that there was always something happening when he…

2026 Cost of Living Adjustment, by Tamara Rowland, Head of Client Care: senior couple smiling at a laptop together

The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Veterans and surviving spouses who receive VA pension benefits, including Pension with Aid and Attendance, is an annual increase intended to help benefits keep pace with inflation. The adjustment is based on changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), specifically the CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage…

Daniel Smith as a young Navy man in sunglasses beside a recent portrait in a suit and red beret

Daniel Smith was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the youngest of eight children in a family of four boys and four girls. Being the baby of the family, he admits with a laugh that he was a “mama’s boy.” Growing up, Smith enjoyed playing sports, including baseball, football, and basketball, and worked various odd…

Senior man wincing and holding his shoulder while sitting on a sofa at home

Chronic Pain in Older Adults: What It Is and How Home Care May Help Chronic pain is a common and complex issue among older adults, but it can often be managed effectively with consistent support at home. Nearly one in four adults in the U.S. experiences chronic pain, with rates even higher among those…

August National Wellness Month: seniors doing stretching exercises at home, with home care support

August is National Wellness Month, making it the perfect time to focus on self-care, healthy routines, and establishing lifelong wellness habits that support mind and body. If you haven’t started a wellness routine yet, no worries—it’s never too late to begin. In fact, a recent study published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy found that older…

Elmus Miller Jr. in a U.S. Air Force cap and sunglasses, Veteran of the Month February 2025

Elmus Miller Jr. was born in Wellston, Missouri, in 1940. Shortly before his second birthday, his parents divorced, and he moved to Arkansas, where he lived with his grandparents. His family worked on farms, pulling corn and picking cotton, and would often relocate in southeastern Missouri and parts of Arkansas for work. As a child, he enjoyed…

Veteran of the Month November 2024: Salvatore Balletto, with the U.S. Army seal over an American flag

Born in 1942 as the son of an Italian immigrant, Balletto grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was from Sicily, and his mother was from Ohio. After graduating from John Adams High School, he became interested in cars. He started building and racing cars on the track at Dragway 42 in Ohio. He described…

The Desire for Independence Never Ends: sparklers burning in front of an American flag

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. ~ Ronald Reagan The American Revolution, also known as the United States War of Independence or the American Revolutionary…

Caregiver walking arm in arm with a senior man who uses a cane along a tree-lined path, carrying a grocery bag

Dealing with the challenges of aging can be overwhelming for both the individual experiencing it and their loved ones. An aging Veteran may start to struggle with basic care or face physical challenges due to injury, age, or health. Often, it is not easy for aging Veterans to ask for help when it becomes difficult…