With more than 528,000 veterans living in Arizona, the state is home to more than 24% of the nation’s veteran population. Approximately half of these veterans are age 65 and older, and Arizona veterans can access numerous support programs for veterans, through both state and non-profit organizations.

If you’re living in the Sonoran Desert, you’ll find many helpful programs, facilities, and veteran benefits in Tucson. For example, Tucson is home to the flagship facility of the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) that serves over 171,000 veterans from surrounding counties. The Tucson facility features a 277-bed hospital offering primary care and specialty care in a wide range of medical needs, including special units for women veterans, rehabilitation, homeless veterans, caregiver support, and mental health care. The healthcare system also supports seven community-based outpatient clinics located at Safford, Casa Grande, Sierra Vista, Yuma, Green Valley, and Northwest and Southeast Tucson.

The City of Tucson has partnered with the VA to offer special housing support to veterans, including special home loans and tax breaks for those looking to purchase a home. The city also hosts regular career fairs for veterans, as well as a special Veterans Court program that offers legal and counseling support to veterans who have broken the law. The city is also working on two specialized apartment complexes that will offer 74 subsidized housing units for homeless veterans. Both will have onsite social workers to help address any issues a veteran may need help with, like mental health or substance abuse issues.

If you’re closer to the capital city, you’ll want to check out the wide range of veteran benefits in Phoenix, like the Phoenix VA health care system. Serving Arizona veterans in the central regions, this health care system is one of a growing number of VA health care facilities that has adopted the “Patient Aligned Care Teams” – or PACTs – a communication protocol that is more patient-centered and focuses heavily on quick and easy communication between patients and their health care providers.

If you or your loved one requires day-to-day assistance, you may be able to find the long-term nursing care services you need at the Arizona State Veteran Home in Phoenix. With spots for 200 veterans, this facility develops individualized treatment plans to fit the needs of each individual patient, helping residents retain as much independence for as long as possible.

Veterans state-wide can access numerous benefits through the Arizona Department of Veteran Affairs, including benefit counseling. The department helped Arizona veterans access more than $2.8 million in compensation, pension, educational and medical benefits, and grants from the VA in the year 2014. With 17 offices across the state, this state-run agency also offers continuing education support, memorial and burial funds, and support for homeless veterans. The department also runs the Veterans Advisory Commission that meets monthly to help form policies and recommendations that best represent Arizona veterans to the state government.

The Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) is also an extremely helpful organization of support for Arizona veterans. Tracing its history back to 1899, the VFW is comprised of local “posts” in host cities, and provides monthly meetings and events for socialization and peer support. VFW posts also maintain service members who are trained in filing claims with the VA and can help you understand the filing process, as well as file or refile if needed. The Arizona state VFW is very active and can direct you to a post near you (there are 75 posts in Arizona).

For more information and links to veteran benefits in Tucson or Phoenix, visit senioradvisor.com.

To find out what veterans benefits exist in other states in the U.S. please visit our complete Veterans Benefits by State guide here.

Arizona Veterans Benefit for Assisted Living

The Aid and Attendance pension benefit is available to Arizona senior veterans and their spouses to help pay for senior care like assisted living, home care, or nursing home care. Here is more information on how the Aid and Attendance benefit helps Arizona veterans.

Written by Megan Hammons