If you’re considering applying for Aid & Attendance, you may be wondering, “What can VA Aid & Attendance money be used for?” The short answer is this: you can use your monetary Aid & Attendance pension benefits to pay for medical and non-medical expenses that are part of long-term care that helps you live your daily life. However, the full answer has many important details that can determine your eligibility for this benefit and how you can use it.
General Aid & Attendance Eligibility Requirements
To receive this benefit from the VA, you must meet certain military service and physical condition requirements. You must meet the service requirements for basic pensions, including not being dishonorably discharged and serving at least 90 days in active duty during a wartime period. Additionally, you must meet at least one of the following physical requirements to receive Aid & Attendance:
- You need another person to help you with everyday tasks, such as eating, bathing, grooming, and dressing.
- You are bed-ridden or spend long periods of time in your bed due to an illness or disability.
- You are a patient in a nursing home due to a disability that led to the loss of physical or mental abilities.
- You have limited eyesight, such as 5/200 with glasses or contacts or a concentric contraction of your visual field to 5 or fewer degrees.
If you meet these requirements, AVCC can help you get the Aid & Attendance application process started so you can receive this pension benefit. Receiving this benefit can make paying for your day-to-day living and medical expenses that much easier.
Aid & Attendance Income Limits
Unlike other VA benefits and aid programs, Aid & Attendance has income limits. These limits exist to prevent people from abusing this pension benefit. So what are these income limits? First, your net worth must be no more than $129,094. Second, there is a 36-month look back period to ensure you didn’t transfer any assets or income to lower your net worth to make yourself eligible for this benefit when you are really ineligible.
If you’re not sure if you meet these or other requirements for this benefit, AVCC screens Veterans and surviving spouses to determine their Aid & Attendance eligibility. We will help you find out if you can use this benefit to pay for your medical and non-medical expenses.
What Should You Use This Pension Benefit For?
If you receive this VA pension benefit, you should put the money toward care services to help maintain your quality of life. That could mean using this VA aid for assisted living or for a nursing home, if you believe either of those environments will benefit you. However, if you’d prefer to stay in your home, you can put your Aid & Attendance benefits toward home care services.
With home care services, professionals visit your home and perform tasks such as bathing, grooming, meal preparation, laundry, and light housekeeping. These tasks help you maintain a good quality of life while staying in a clean, tidy environment. You may find you prefer home care over an assisted living community or a nursing home because you receive care while you’re in a familiar place.
With home care services, professionals visit your home and perform tasks such as bathing, grooming, meal preparation, laundry, and light housekeeping. These tasks help you maintain a good quality of life while staying in a clean, tidy environment.
Which Care Option is Right for You?
How can you know if you should use home care services or move to a senior living center or a nursing home? Ultimately, you and your family members will have to make that choice, but you should start the process by learning as much information as you can about each option. For example, you can reach out to us at AVCC today to find out how we can screen you for your Aid & Attendance eligibility. Then you can learn about how we’ll put you in touch with home care providers in your area. When you research each option, you can make a truly informed choice.
Apply for Aid & Attendance Benefits Today
If you think you’re eligible for the Aid & Attendance pension benefit, reach out to us today! We will screen you to determine your eligibility, and then we’ll get the application process started. We know you’d like to stay in your home while you receive care, and we want to help you do just that.
