Retired Virginia Marine Goes Above And Beyond For Older Veterans

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A retired Marine from Rappahannock County who served in Iraq and Afghanistan is making sure that older veterans across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia receive more than just accolades.

Lieutenant Colonel David Benhoff (Ret.), director of Veterans' Health and Support Services at Capital Caring Health, has made it his mission to provide compassionate care and meaningful assistance to local veterans in their final days.

"Veterans who served in Vietnam, the Korean War, and World War II were raised not to ask for help—they are selfless by nature," says Benhoff. "Veterans often don't realize that they can get compensation, health care, and at-home support. Capital Caring Health has cared for, advocated for, and helped literally thousands of these veterans cut through red tape, so they can focus on what's most important to them as they age—staying in the comfort of their home in the community they know."

Nearly 600,000 veterans over age 65 live in the mid-Atlantic region. Since its founding in 1977, Capital Caring Health—the largest non-profit provider of elder health, hospice, and advanced illness care for the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area—has served thousands of these veterans and their families through its Veterans' Health and Support Services program. 

Under Benhoff's leadership, the program provides care for veterans facing advanced illness while navigating benefits and services, often tied to service-related illness—working directly with federal, state, and local veterans' service agencies to ensure that veterans get what they need, earned, and deserve. Capital Caring Health partners with these agencies alongside its own staff of 900, and its own "army" of more than 1,000 volunteers.

Benhoff says that, just as important as it is to help veterans get the care they need at the end of their lives, supporting their family members is just as rewarding—citing the example of a veteran who passed away before Benhoff's team was able to secure his earned benefits. "After he passed, his widow sent me a note telling me that just knowing we were trying to help him in this way was a huge comfort to her," he recalls. "That note meant the world to me. Providing care and comfort when it matters most is what we do."

Learn more about Capital Caring Health's Veterans' Health and Support Services Program by calling the 24-Hour Care Line at 1-800-869-2136.

About Capital Caring Health
Capital Caring Health is the largest non-profit provider of health, advanced illness, hospice, and at-home care services for the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area. We provide quality care where people live, supporting dignified, independent aging. For more information, visit capitalcaring.org or call our 24-Hour Care Line at 1-800-869-2136.

SOURCE Capital Caring Health