About
Two Decades in Your Corner
The Aging Veteran was built on a simple belief: the men and women who served should never have to fight through red tape alone to get what they earned. Too many older veterans give up on benefits they qualify for because the system is confusing, slow, and built to wear people down. We exist to change that, with plain-language answers, free tools, and real accredited help whenever you want it. Everything we do comes back to one promise: you served your country, and you should not have to battle a bureaucracy to be treated fairly.
Why we do this
For more than twenty years, we have sat across the table from veterans and their families as they tried to make sense of VA benefits. We saw the same thing again and again: good people missing out on help they had clearly earned, simply because no one explained it in plain language.
So we built the resource we wished they had - clear guides, honest answers, and access to real accredited professionals when a claim gets complicated. Not a call center. Not some crap thrown together online. A place built by people who actually know this work.
Today, The Aging Veteran brings that same care to the whole of later life - benefits, money, health, home, and safety - so aging veterans can live with dignity and confidence.
The values behind every page
Respect first
You served. You raised families. You earned every bit of this. We talk to you like the adult you are - never talk down, never rush.
Honesty over hype
We tell you the truth, even when it is not what you hoped to hear. No inflated promises, no scare tactics, no pressure.
Free stays free
Our information and tools cost nothing. Professional representation is always optional - and we explain the cost before you decide.
Albert L. Thombs Jr.
Albert served in the United States Army and went through his own fight to get the VA benefits he had earned. That experience - sitting across from the VA, learning the system from the inside, and realizing how many veterans were being left behind - is what turned a personal battle into a career.
For more than 20 years, Albert has worked as a VA disability advocate. He holds VA accreditation #45147, issued by the VA Office of General Counsel (OGC), meaning he is federally authorized to represent veterans in claims, appeals, and hearings before the VA. That accreditation number is publicly verifiable in the VA OGC Accreditation Search.
Albert is the CEO of The VA Disability Advocate and leads a team of advocates who together have helped thousands of veterans and their families file claims, win appeals, and secure the compensation they were owed. He built The Aging Veteran because too many older veterans and surviving spouses were falling through the cracks - and because the information they needed should be free, honest, and in one place.
Verify Albert's credentials yourself
Go to the VA OGC Accreditation Search, select "Claims Agent," and search for "Thombs" - you will find accreditation #45147, active and in good standing.
Credentials
- VA-Accredited Claims Agent
- Accreditation #45147
- U.S. Army Veteran
- 20+ years in VA disability advocacy
- CEO, The VA Disability Advocate
Real people, not a phone tree
Every person on this team works directly with veterans and their families, not from behind a call-center script. These are the real names and phone numbers behind the work you see on this site. When you reach out, you are talking to people who understand the VA system and who answer for what they tell you. We keep the team small on purpose, so that no veteran ever feels like a case number.
Real people, held to real standards
Real, accredited people
We work with VA-accredited agents - credentialed professionals held to federal standards - not anonymous voices online.
Meet our accredited agentsGuidance, not gatekeeping
You can do everything yourself for free, and we will help you either way. We simply make the path clear.
Explore benefitsBuilt for families too
Spouses, adult children, and caregivers carry a lot. Our resources are written so the whole family can follow along.
Caregiver supportInformation only - not legal advice
For information purposes only - this is not legal, financial, or medical advice. The Aging Veteran is a private service and is not part of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Benefits are subject to VA eligibility rules. Always confirm your specifics on va.gov or with a qualified professional.
Two ways to move forward — both free
Let's find what you're owed
Start a free, private chat or call and talk to a real person, not an automated menu. Whatever stage you are at, whether you are just curious or ready to file, we will meet you there. Ask one question or a dozen, because there is no cost and no obligation to keep going. When you are ready for hands-on help, an accredited agent is one message away.
Have a question? Get free information
Ask a question, learn what you may be owed, or find out where you stand. Confidential, free, and no obligation to go any further.
Ready to hire us? Register
Decided you want us to work your claim? Registering is free — we match you with an accredited advocate and get you started. We cannot begin until you sign VA Form 21-22a, and fees, if any, are always disclosed up front.
