What to Look for When Choosing a Home Care Provider

Choosing a home care provider for a Veteran can be challenging, and your loved one’s care shouldn’t be taken lightly. With so many options available, knowing which path to take can be difficult. Fortunately, help is available for Veterans and their loved ones who need assistance selecting a reputable one.

Learn about the type of benefits Veterans are entitled to, plus:

How Veterans can use these benefits to their advantage
Qualities to look for in a home health care provider
How companies like American Veterans Care Connection can help Veterans in their search for quality home care services

What Benefits Can Veterans Take Advantage of?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides many benefits to Veterans, their spouses, children, and other family caretakers, from education and home loans to employment and memorial benefits. However, some of the largest and most underutilized are home health care services.

One of the most significant initiatives is Aid and Attendance (A&A), which is a pension benefit that provides financial assistance to help cover the costs of home care services. A&A is designed to help Veterans with limited income and resources receive at-home support that lets them keep up with activities of daily living. The VA offers an online application process to make it easier to apply and quickly receive benefits.

How to Qualify for Aid and Attendance Benefits

Aid and Attendance benefits are available to Veterans, their spouses, and surviving family members. To qualify, a Veteran must meet specific criteria. First, they must have served at least 90 days of active duty with one day during wartime, and, per VA, one of the following situations must be true:

“You or your family member needs help performing daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing.
You or your family member are on bed rest, spending a large portion of the day in bed due to an illness.
You or your family member are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability.
Your or your family member’s eyesight is declining, even with glasses or contacts.”

The Benefits of Home Care for Seniors

Home care services provide seniors with a safe and comfortable place to live while receiving personalized medical attention. With adequate home care, aging Veterans can get assistance with daily activities like feeding, eating, and bathing in familiar surroundings.

Securing home care for Veterans provides many other benefits, like the following:

Increased Independence – Home care allows seniors to maintain their independence and autonomy by allowing them to stay in their own homes and receive personalized attention without having to move into a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Improved Quality of Life – Senior care specialists can visit Veteran homes and offer needed companionship and social interaction. Additionally, they can provide medical assistance designed to accommodate the Veteran’s care plan and improve their overall quality of life.
Cost Savings – Home care is often less expensive than other long-term options, such as nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

With AVCC, home care is more attainable than ever. Learn how you can get the benefits you deserve today.

Home Care Services At Your Reach

How to Choose a Home Care Provider

When selecting a home care provider for your loved one, ensure they’re qualified to meet your Veteran’s needs. Start your search with the following tips.

Research

First and foremost, it is essential to do your research. Look for home care providers with experience working with Veterans, older adults, or disabled individuals. Ask for references from past clients and contact businesses like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to ensure the provider has no complaints on file. You should also ask potential providers about their qualifications, such as any certifications or specialized training they may have received.

Consider Costs

In addition to researching a provider’s qualifications, you should consider their fees and payment options. Home care services can be expensive, so it’s important to find a provider that fits within your budget.

Verify Their Availability

Many home care providers offer flexible hours, so it is important to determine if they’re available when needed. Additionally, some providers offer 24-hour service or overnight shifts, which can be very helpful for family members who need to work or handle other obligations during the day.

Establish Clear Communication

You should prioritize having a good relationship with the home care provider and clear communication about expectations and responsibilities. To ensure peace of mind all around, make sure that both parties understand each other and that there’s mutual respect for privacy and boundaries.

Schedule an Interview

Once you have narrowed down your list of potential providers, schedule an interview with each one. This is your chance to ask in-depth questions about their qualifications, experience, and policies. Make sure you feel comfortable with the provider before making any decisions about your loved one’s care.

Let AVCC Help You Find Adequate Home Health Care

At American Veterans Care Connection, we understand the unique needs Veterans and surviving spouses have. With our specialized services, we connect Veterans and their loved ones with exceptional home health care. We offer personalized assistance with finding qualified providers and navigating the complexities of benefits like Aid and Attendance.

Our Veterans have already dedicated enough to protect our country, and obtaining something as simple as personalized care should be the least of their worries. That’s why we’ll handle all the busy work of locating and signing up for benefits so you can get to the standard of living you deserve.

Ready to access your VA benefits? Get started with us today.