Aging can be difficult for everyone, but a program that serves veterans is working to give those who have served our country more control over the care they receive.

This week, the National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services (NRCPDS) hosted a meeting in Washington, D.C. with representatives of veterans’ service organizations, the Administration for Community Living, and the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to unveil preliminary findings from a study, Voice of Veterans.

The Voice of Veterans highlights the power of the Veterans Directed Home and Community Based Services (VD-HCBS) Program, which serves veterans who are at-risk of institutional placement. VD-HCBS allows veterans to stay in their own homes and manage their personal care through flexible spending budgets. It gives veterans more autonomy over their care, empowering them to use budgets to hire family, friends and neighbors to provide personalized care that better fits their needs and schedules.

Findings from the Voice of Veterans show that VD-HCBS significantly benefits the veterans that it serves. The study also shows that caregivers, such as friends and family, also gain from the support and assistance that the program provides.

NRCPDS is a research, training and technical assistance center that provides guidance to states and agencies which offer participant-directed care to populations with disabilities. The Center was established in 2009 after a demonstration – Cash and Counseling – proved that participant-directed care was an effective alternative to institutional care for elderly and disabled individuals who did not need 24/7 care.

Today, participant-directed care is available in all 50 states through Medicaid for low-income elderly and disabled individuals as an alternative to institutional care. A survey conducted last month by the Associated Press shows that many older Americans see the value in a model in which care is directed by the individual who is receiving it.

Thanks to the launch of VD-HCBS, veterans who need long-term services and supports have an alternative to institutional care. The program is currently available to approximately one-third of all eligible veterans with plans to make the program available nationwide.

To learn more about NRCPDS and their work, visit their website at: http://www.bc.edu/schools/gssw/nrcpds/.