Help Veterans cope with aging in a geriatric mental health career

When we imagine the professionals who care for aging Veterans, we might often immediately think of doctors, nurses and even pharmacists, but one avenue of care you may not consider is geriatric mental health.

While older Veterans have vast experience coping with challenges, some face longstanding or even emerging mental health conditions as they grow older. As our Veteran population ages, those who have served our country will need mental health professionals to help them continue to live their best lives.

A unique expertise

When it comes to providing for the mental health of our older Veterans, geriatric psychiatrists bring a unique expertise to our team. They focus on prevention, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders in the elderly. However, the key difference for geriatric professionals is their experience with older adults who have multiple medical issues and take multiple medications.

Aging Veterans may experience depression, anxiety, distressing memories from their military service, or stress related to health concerns—including pain, sleep troubles or memory problems. Even something as basic as increased difficulty getting around isn’t limited to just the physical—there can be a mental component attached to the possible loss of independence.

“Having access to a specialist who not only understands psychiatric medicine but the pharmacological goals of the elderly we care for has made a tremendous difference in our ability to keep our Veterans stabilized and safe in our memory care unit,” explained Edith Emerson, who works in the memory care unit at the Togus Maine VA.

A critical need

VA has many programs to support older Veterans and their families and caregivers, both online and in-person at our facilities. We also provide a range of specialized geriatric services for Veterans and families to help them cope with complex mental health conditions in later life.

However, the need for geriatrics professionals throughout the country is growing. There are more than 11 million people aged 60 and older alive today who have served in the military, representing the largest population of Veterans in the nation. As these Veterans find their way to VA, we need to be ready to meet their needs.

“Nationwide, there’s a shortage of geriatric services, in particular geriatric psychiatry,” said Dr. Isis Burgos-Chapman, a geriatric psychiatrist who provides community living center and outpatient consultation services through one of VA’s Clinical Resource Hubs.

A career of caring

Between our ever-expanding telehealth services, inpatient care positions and outpatient care support opportunities, there are plenty of ways a mental health professional with a focus on geriatrics can reach out to Veterans and demonstrate our core values—integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence

These core values define who we are as VA employees and how we will fulfill our mission to care for Veterans in all their times of need. These five ideals describe our culture and serve as the foundation for the way we interact with our Veterans and our fellow employees.

• Integrity: We choose to act with the highest professional standards and maintain the trust of all with whom we engage.
• Commitment: We work diligently to serve Veterans and are driven by an earnest belief in VA’s mission.
• Advocacy: We are truly Veteran-centric, as we work to identify, consider and advance the interests of Veterans.
• Respect: We treat all those we serve and with whom we work with dignity and respect, because we believe you must show respect to earn it.
• Excellence: We strive for the highest quality and value continuous improvement.

Work at VA

If you have an interest in working with older Veterans, whether in one of our facilities or in their own homes, VA has an opportunity for you.

• READ about our mental health efforts for older Veterans.
• LEARN more about home- and community-based services.
• EXPLORE our hiring incentives.
• APPLY for a VA career at VAcareers.VA.gov.