The Veteran at the Center: Rethinking Senior Care Priorities
(Originally published September 8, 2025) Every day, families step into senior living communities with a mix of hope and apprehension. They come not just asking about availability, cost, or amenities. At the heart of their questions is something deeper: Will my loved one be seen, valued, and understood? For veteran families, that question carries an even heavier weight. Military service leaves lasting marks—on bodies, minds, and identities. Too often, those marks go unrecognized in traditional care models.
I’ve seen both sides of this equation. As a U.S. Army veteran and now as someone working daily with families navigating long-term care decisions, I know the tension between mission and margin. Communities have to keep lights on, payroll met, and rooms filled. That reality doesn’t go away. But what if the path to long-term sustainability actually begins by re-centering on something older, deeper, and more enduring—the dignity of those we serve?
What Veteran-Centered Care Looks Like
Veteran-centered care begins with listening. It means acknowledging that the man in your memory care unit may still wake to the cadence of drill sergeants in his dreams. It means understanding why the woman in assisted living might bristle when her independence feels stripped away—because she once commanded a platoon. It’s not just about providing a room; it’s about honoring a lifetime of service.
Veteran-centered care isn’t a marketing slogan. It’s a posture. It asks staff to pause long enough to ask not just what medical needs exist but also what stories shape this person’s identity. It might look like:
Hosting peer-to-peer gatherings where veterans swap stories and remember who they are.
Training staff to recognize and respond with compassion when PTSD symptoms surface.
Connecting families to benefits—like the VA Aid & Attendance Pension—that can help offset costs and ease difficult decisions.
None of this ignores the business side of senior living. Rather, it strengthens it. Because when families see that their loved one is more than a number on a census sheet, they lean in with trust. And trust is the foundation of every sustainable relationship.
A Lesson from Brisbane
A recent example from Australia illustrates the power of this approach. Earlier this summer, the Salute for Service Veteran Wellness Centre opened in Woolloongabba, Brisbane. Built by veterans, for veterans, the center offers peer coaching, mental health support, job readiness tools, and a sense of belonging. In just six months, one of their digital platforms saw usage increase seventeen-fold.
That surge wasn’t driven by flashy advertising or discounts. It came because veterans walked in and felt, these people understand me. The lesson is clear: when you create spaces that honor identity and foster belonging, veterans don’t just participate—they flourish.
Imagine what it could look like if more senior care providers embraced this model. Not a copy-and-paste of the Brisbane center, but a commitment to the same principle: dignity first.
Balancing Mission and Sustainability
I know administrators carry real burdens. Staffing shortages, regulatory pressures, rising costs—all of these realities weigh heavily. But centering veterans does not work against those needs; it works with them.
Retention and Morale: Staff who see the meaning behind their work tend to stay longer and engage more fully. Veteran-centered practices give caregivers stories to hold onto during hard shifts.
Family Confidence: When families see that veterans are honored, they tell others. Word of mouth grows strongest when trust is earned.
Community Reputation: In an era where transparency matters, a reputation for honoring veterans elevates a brand above mere occupancy metrics.
Financial sustainability matters. Everyone knows that. But it should never be the first word in the conversation. When communities place veterans at the center, sustainability follows—not because it was the goal, but because integrity builds resilience.
What We Owe
There’s also a moral dimension here that can’t be ignored. Veterans stepped into danger so others could live in safety. They carried burdens most civilians will never fully grasp. When they reach the point of needing care, we have a responsibility to respond with more than efficiency—we owe them honor.
That honor is shown in how we design programs, train staff, and walk alongside families. It’s seen in whether a veteran feels like a respected individual or just another resident. It’s heard in whether families leave with peace of mind or lingering doubts.
A Call to Re-Center
The future of senior living doesn’t have to be framed as a tug-of-war between compassion and commerce. It can be framed as an alignment—mission and sustainability walking hand in hand. And the way to that alignment is simple, though not always easy: put the veteran at the center.
When you do, you will find that rooms fill, staff engage, and reputations rise—not because of aggressive sales tactics, but because word spreads about a place where veterans are honored and families feel understood.
Every community has the opportunity to step into this story: bridging gaps, removing barriers, and ensuring that no veteran or surviving spouse is left behind.
Not by ignoring financial realities. Not by pretending the balance sheet doesn’t matter. But by letting the dignity of the veteran—the one who once wore the uniform—set the agenda.
When we start there, everything else falls into place.