Aging Veterans in the State of Alabama

Objectives: This study identifies specific target areas (health, healthcare, home stability, food stability, and caregiving status) for serving middle-aged and older military veterans in Alabama. Methods: The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) conducted a survey of Alabama military veterans (n = 556) in 2018 related to health issues, healthcare utilization, home stability, food stability, and caregiving status. Results: The most prevalent health issue among Alabama veterans was high blood pressure (55.36%), followed by diabetes (30.88%), heart disease (16.49%), and cancer (14.27%). Results showed that 11.06% of veterans used mental health services in the last 12 months. While less than 5% of veterans reported hunger risk, 20.09% of veterans experienced housing instability in the last 12 months, and 9.94% of veterans reported being a caregiver. Discussion: Veteran support organizations could help the veteran population by addressing health, healthcare, home and food stability, and caregiving issues. Implications and suggested interventions are discussed.