Requiring help around the house can happen for any number of reasons. It can happen as a result of an accident. Imagine somebody was involved in a serious car accident one afternoon and was hospitalized for several weeks. When they are finally recovering enough and physically capable of returning home, they won’t be able to get back to their normal routine without assistance, at least for a while.
A serious medical emergency, like a heart attack or stroke, can also leave a person with the challenges of completing basic daily tasks. Long-term home care may be necessary for these individuals, veterans and otherwise.
For some people, though, paying for home care support is not easy.
It’s not easy to pay for a home care aide when a person’s income, either through a pension, retirement account, or the final days of sick and vacation time from their primary employer are minimal. For some veterans who may qualify, the Aid and Attendance Benefit could be extremely beneficial at helping them afford home care services.
What is the Aid and Attendance Benefit?
This is a pension that was developed following World War I one as way to help soldiers get the support and care they needed at home due to injuries sustained in battle. It has expanded through the years to provide financial assistance for veterans of all ages and from all walks of life, whether they were injured or disabled during service or not.
In order to qualify for it, veterans need to be limited on their income and assets. Currently, that threshold is $119,000.
Also, veterans need to have served at least 90 days active duty in one of the major branches of the United States military. At least one day of service needs to have overlapped an official time of combat, as defined by Congress. If they served any time during the Gulf War, their minimum time of service needs to be two years.
Finally, veterans need to be able to prove home care is needed at this point in their life.
Sometimes this may seem like a difficult challenge, but if a doctor has recommended home care support, he or she will likely be willing to write a letter to submit to the VA for consideration. There are other things veterans can do to prove home care is needed at this point in their life, and the best thing is to get the application and begin filling it out as soon as possible. If any veteran requires long-term home care support, they should have no trouble proving it.
Our VetAssist® Program can help you apply for the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit and access the home care you need. For more information and to learn about The VetAssist Program, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.
