If you’re a veteran or a family member of a veteran, you may be wondering what kind of home care and home health care benefits they can receive. The care services Veterans Affairs (VA) will cover can vary depending on where a veteran lives. VA benefits for nursing home care is different from benefits for veterans in assisted living facilities. All of those benefits are also different from veterans’ home care benefits that help them with daily tasks. Let’s take a look at the types of benefits available to veterans in different living situations.
Veteran Benefits Based on Living Situations
Home Health Care
Home health care for veterans is available through Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies. Some health care services veterans receive at home and in the community are part of the VA’s VHA Standard Medical Benefits Package, including palliative care, skilled home health care, and home-based primary care, if the veteran is eligible for the service and it’s available to them. The VA does not pay for other health care services veterans might need, including Adult Day Health Care. To receive these services, you can work with a VA social worker to figure out the best way to pay for them.
Home Care
Home Care, or Personal Care, is long-term care that helps veterans perform daily tasks while they remain in their homes. These tasks include grocery shopping and running errands, laundry, light housekeeping, transportation, bathing and grooming, medication reminders, and meal preparation. AVCC pairs veterans with home care providers who can perform these tasks, and we help veterans receive financial assistance to help pay for these daily services. While you could go directly to the VA to apply for financial assistance, AVCC can make sure that you have all the right paperwork to complete the application process for the services you need. We can also locate financial assistance packages that will meet your veteran’s needs. At AVCC, we’ll help you make long-term home care a reality for you and your veteran.
Assisted Living
The VA does not pay directly for veterans to live in assisted living facilities. For example, it does not cover room and board in such a facility. However, the VA’s Aid & Attendance program is a pension benefit that allows veterans to pay for assisted living. You or your veteran may qualify for Aid & Attendance if they need help performing routine tasks, including bathing and dressing, or if they are bedridden or have 5/200 eyesight. If you qualify for this benefit, you can definitely make staying in an assisted living community a reality.
Veterans can also receive Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) through the VA while they reside in assisted living facilities. That’s another route that you can explore, and some of those services are available through the Standard Medical Benefits Package, but not all of them are.
How to Apply for Home Care Benefits
As stated above, you can go directly through the VA to receive veteran benefits like Home Care. However, going straight to the VA means that you might not be exploring all of your or your veteran’s possible care options. At AVCC, we will work with you and with home care providers to help you or your veteran receive the services they need to get through the day. Your veteran did their military service, including active duty service, and now we can help them reap the benefits they are entitled to. AVCC can connect you to the care providers who will help you or your veteran with their daily tasks. If you have any questions about our services, please contact us today.
About AVCC
AVCC is devoted to making sure veterans access the home care and services that they need. We will help them work through the paperwork that comes with applying for home care services, and we will provide them with a support network that will assist them so they can get through the day. Overall, we are focused on making it easier for veterans to access home care services.
