A recently released RAND Corporation study of more than 28,000 military caregivers finds that there is a need for increased support for the 1.1 million-plus spouses, parents, and friends caring for veterans injured and disabled since September 11, 2001. The Hidden Heroes: America’s Military Caregivers study found that caregivers provide an estimated $3 billion in care annually, but despite those contributions, there are few public or private programs that directly support their needs. Researchers identified more than 100 programs that […]
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The Fayetteville YMCA plans to build a $20 million wellness center geared to injured soldiers. The Wounded Warrior Center: A Living Monument, will be part museum and part recreation and rehabilitation center. The 110,000 square-foot facility will have three indoor pools, including a 10-lane competition-style pool with seating for 500 people. Membership to the new center will be free to injured soldiers and open to the public through the YMCA. To read more, click here.
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A poll of Iraq or Afghanistan veterans conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation explores the views and experiences of adults who served in the wars as members of the U.S. military in the period after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The findings show a majority of veterans of these conflicts say that Americans appreciate their service and that gestures of support are genuine, but many report a number of challenges, including economic struggles, worse […]
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A Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient center in Jacksonville broke ground last week. This center will help to meet the high demand for health care in the fastest-growing VA region, which includes North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network’s Daniel Hoffmann states that the region’s growth is expected to continue for the next decade and because of this, “It’s important that we stay ahead of the curve.” The new facility will provide a more convenient location and […]
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The US Department of Labor reports a decline in the 2013 unemployment rates for veterans who have served since 2001. While this news is promising, this downward trend is not present for all veterans. Younger veterans aged 18-24 are experiencing an unemployment rate of 21.4%; this is despite the training and job skills these younger veterans have acquired in the military. For North Carolina veterans, the unemployment rate is 6.2%, highlighting the importance of continued support for employment programs. To […]
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Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) plans to open the All American Veterans Center this spring. This center will support the needs of the 2,900 student veterans who attend FTCC. The broad range of services offered will include help with education issues, job searches, entrepreneurship, and counseling. The college is collaborating with a number of veteran groups and agencies to bring these new services on campus. To read more, click here.
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Honorably discharged North Carolina veterans who have served in any branch of the U.S. military can now obtain a “VETERAN” designation on their license or state-issued ID by showing their DD-214 discharge at a DMV license office. It took three years and an act of the state legislature to put in this designation place. Veterans can have this designation added at no charge when they renew their license. To read more, click here.
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New research shows that veterans exposed to intense explosive blasts are at risk of damage to their brain’s white matter even when symptoms do not present. The findings, published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation suggest that the absence of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosis does not necessarily erase a veteran’s risk of brain damage from blast exposure. Senior author Dr. Rajendra Morey states that very little is known about how explosive forces from bombs, grenades, and other […]
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The Durham VA Medical Center program “Caring for Older Adults and Caregivers at Home” (COACH) began as a pilot in 2010 and is now a fully funded program in Durham and is expanding to two more locations, Greenville and Morehead City. The COACH program is open to Veterans aged 65 or older living within a 50-mile radius of either the Durham VA Medical Center, Greenville VA Health Care Center, or Morehead City VA Community-Based Outreach Clinic with a caregiver at […]
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The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) is the largest study of mental health risk and resilience ever conducted among U.S. military personnel. The findings related to suicide attempts and deaths have been released in a series of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry articles. Study findings include: the rise in suicide deaths from 2004 to 2009 occurred not only in currently and previously deployed soldiers, but also among soldiers never deployed; […]
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