The large number of aging veterans will have the greatest impact on the medical programs of the Veterans' Administration. Increased demands for nursing home, domiciliary and hospital beds will affect VA construction, modernization and alteration plans for medical facilities. Attached is a chart indicating VA Medical Facility Construction Plans for Fiscal Years 1981-1985. Logic would indicate that future budgets will, of necessity, need to contain larger sums for construction, alteration or modernization in order to accommodate the significantly increased aged veteran population.

At the present time, the VA has eight Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers. Current law authorizes a total of 15 Centers dedicated to this medical specialty. Since geriatric medicine is a relatively new field, further research will be needed to provide information and methodologies for caring for the increased number of aged

veterans.

Recruitment of both professional and service personnel to work with the aged, particularly in long-term facilities, has always been difficult. Additional medical and service personnel will be needed to care for the anticipated increase in the aged veteran population.