Question; Circumstances several years ago occurred to cause me to step away from flying HEMS.  I’m considering applying but I’m not sure I can get employment with my VA disabled status.  I’m older 68, but highly qualified for any position, VFR or IFR.   Part of my situation was emotional, not really physical just got tired of the DO lying and a chief pilot who was a bit gutless in my situation.  Mostly bored and miss aviation.   

Thoughts?

Things aren't any better than when you left, but every operator is desperate for help.

You must disclose your VA medical issues to the FAA (AME) and they will then determine if you meet their requirements for medical certification. 
A VA compensated "disability" is not automatically grounding to the FAA. Some are. Some aren't.

p.s. Avoid the temptation to brag to your civilian co-workers about your VA check. Nothing good can come from that. It's nobody's business.

I agree, and what makes you think things are any different now?  

Will you please tell me which, if any, business in the US provides lifetime healthcare benefits for as little as 181 days of employment? Well, the US government does through the VA! A person could enlist in the military, be found unsuitable for military service, and receive an administrative discharge. If that person served for 181 days and continued to do poorly (in other words, they were not financially successful), they are eligible to receive healthcare benefits from the VA because they fall below an earnings threshold. We are not talking about war heroes, or even “thank you for your service” people. These are people who were unsuitable for the military and were discharged as a result.

Next, there are millions of “disabled veterans” in this country who not only receive healthcare benefits for “service-connected” “disabilities”, but they also receive payments from the VA. Believe it or not, there are professional airline pilots who are classified by VA as disabled!

If someone is truly disabled, you would think they could no longer work.

I retired from the military in 2005 after 25 years of service. I was rated as “disabled” by the VA because of my hearing (I had numerous issues with my ears as a child and NEVER had good hearing) and an injury to my elbow, which was hyperextended in a FISTFIGHT. Yes, a fistfight. Since the event happened while I was on active duty, the VA determined the injury was service connected and “rated” me for it. This is ridiculous and needs to stop.

My brother-in-law is a retired military officer who has been “rated” for sleep apnea. The service did not cause this condition (he is obese), just like it did not cause my hearing loss. Yet, because he is rated at 50 percent disability, he gets his military retirement AND what is known as “concurrent receipt” from the VA.

If you are a young enlisted person who injures himself moving lockers while on a work detail, you can receive benefits for life. Why is this? Why should this person not be taken care of by workers’ compensation? Under the work comp system, a worker is taken care of while preparing to return to work. If that person is caught “faking” an injury, they can be prosecuted for fraud.

The people of the US have a duty to those who were injured during training or operational (combat) situations. These people should be taken care of through the military health system, which has some very fine hospitals. Specialty care could be contracted to private/non-military facilities.

Everyone else should be taken care of through the workers’ compensation system. No more lifetime benefits through the gravy train known as the VA. In fact, the VA should be trimmed to a small fraction of its current size.

When I see 65+ year olds come through the new hire process I wonder how they mismanaged their money to the point they still need to work at such an age. You may say they don't need to work, they're just bored and never developed a life outside of work. To this I would ask you: Which scenario is less heartbreaking? 

Having said that, by all means collect a signing bonus and roll out of bed at 2am into your 70's to fly broken bones and missed dialysis appointments. 

Lol, I'm just Living CD check to CD check, waiting till I can take distributions from the ol' 401K.

Retired at 49.

Yes, I am bragging.

Deal with it.

 because they didn’t like retirement is something homeslice here finds heartbreaking 

Sometimes folks been in the work force for so long, that's all they know.  It's familiar.  It's comforting.  To break the cycle can be too stressful.  They try it on the outside, but it's too much to handle.  They can't relax and must do something to pass the time.

My Mom, she'll turn 70 this December.  She tried to stop working a few years ago, she called the pharmacy and asked if they needed any part time help.  They took her back, she works 2 days a week now, and covers more if anyone calls in sick or goes on vaca.  Not because she needs to, because she wants to.

Step dad on the other hand finally retired from a job he was doing all his life, welding, welding shop middle manager.  He knew everything there, could do anything there, had purpose, respect.  He's not a smart man, not educated, barely finished the 8th grade.  But over there he was the man.  Now he's lost.  Gets days where he's depressed, with no direction.  Don't even wanna go outside at times.  It comes and goes.  But he's adjusting.  Being a homebody is tough when you've slaved your entire life for a bit of bread.  Neither of them have much saved for retirement and they stress over that and the way things are so expensive.  SO yeah, I get it.

Every oldhead thats wanted to come back to flying is terrible. I had to train up the last oldhead who flew a desk in the air force for 20 years since his last helo flight. needless to say, he didnt make it. decided to retire after 1 year of every other pilot/crew/mechanic around him complaining. also, oversped on a check flight. they all need special coaching to make it through initial, especially in the sim. 

too bad they're just not as good as you!