Whether you’re a Veteran yourself or a Veteran’s family member, you may wonder: What is a caregiver? What is a care provider? How do they differ from each other? Let’s look at what these two terms mean and how they affect the care services you or your family member receive.
Is a Caregiver Different From a Care Provider?
Yes. The term “caregiver” usually refers to a family member who provides unpaid care for an aging family member. This family member may live with their relative, or they may come over every day to help their loved one perform daily tasks. The term “care provider” refers to a paid professional who provides assistance for the elderly in everyday tasks. Examples of care providers include:
- Home Care Providers: Home care providers visit older adults, including Veterans, every day to help them with the activities of daily living. These activities include bathing, grooming, hygiene, meal preparation, medication reminders, and light housekeeping. These care providers can be skilled or unskilled workers, but they are certified to take daily care of seniors.
- Home Health Care Providers: These care providers are skilled medical professionals who provide health care services to older adults. They often provide these services after seniors return home from a hospital stay or while they deal with a chronic condition at home. Home health care providers include nurse practitioners, physical therapists, and home health aides.
Can You Have a Caregiver and Care Provider at the Same Time?
Yes. A family caregiver can live with you or visit you periodically to run errands for you or complete some tasks around the house while you also receive professional home care services or medical care. Here’s an example of how this situation works: Bill and Susan are an older married couple who live together. Susan does most of the housework and takes care of Bill because he has medical conditions that limit his movement. However, there are now some tasks Susan cannot perform. She hires a home care provider to complete those tasks while she handles the rest of her household responsibilities. A nurse practitioner also visits Bill sometimes to administer medical treatments. Overall, these services help Susan get through the day and maintain her and Bill’s good quality of life. As you can see from this example, caregivers and care providers can coexist harmoniously with each other.
How Can You Afford and Access Home Care Services?
If you are a Veteran or a Veteran’s surviving spouse, AVCC can screen you for your VA Aid and Attendance eligibility. Aid and Attendance can be obtained if you qualify for the VA pension benefit. This money can be used to pay for home care services. You must meet medical requirements to receive the Aid and Attendance benefit. We help you determine your eligibility and oversee your Aid and Attendance application process. We keep a VA-accredited attorney on staff to complete your application. After we submit your application, we contact the VA regularly to make sure your application moves through the approval process smoothly. Once you receive the Aid and Attendance benefit, we match you with home care providers in your area to help you find the right daily assistance for your personal care needs.
Begin Accessing Home Care Services Through AVCC
If you’re a Veteran or a Veteran’s family member who’s ready to look for home care services, reach out to us today. We help you access Aid and Attendance to afford home care, and then we locate a local home care provider that assists you with the activities of daily living.
