Date

5-2026

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Collaborative Health and Human Services

First Advisor

Adrienne Saxton

Abstract

This capstone project was designed to assist aging veterans in Monterey County who face challenges staying safely in their homes long-term. It describes the Monterey County Military and Veterans Affairs Office, an agency dedicated to helping former service members and their families navigate the complexities of the federal benefits system to access essential support. The project focused on a small-scale community resource fair aimed at bridging the gap between aging veterans and local services including caregiving, healthcare, and transportation. By centralizing diverse organizations, the intervention aimed to increase awareness of available resources among this population. Most intended outcomes were met; however, long-term outcomes such as new client acquisition could not be measured due to lack of follow-up data. Roughly 58 aging veterans and their families attended the event alongside 14 participating community agencies. Project success was evaluated by tracking the total number of participants and vendors, as well as by analyzing feedback from post-event surveys. Assessment data revealed that 50% of participating agencies reported having more than 15 visitors at their table and 92.9% reported having 5 or more meaningful conversations with attendees, indicating engagement and connections between veterans and community partners. Recommendations include expanding outreach strategies and implementing a mobile or hybrid model to better serve home bound or non-driving veterans as the baby boomer generation continues to age.

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