It’s not always easy for people to ask for help, even when the signs are clear they need assistance. For some veterans, it becomes even more difficult because they went through boot camp, may have served in battle, and have other expectations for themselves that preclude any assistance or even asking for it. However, as people get older, veterans included, it may become difficult for them to maintain their safety, quality of life, mobility, and more into the future.
Veterans of all ages can learn a great deal when they finally come to the realization that assistance is required and they can’t do everything on their own. For some veterans, though, especially those on limited incomes, they may never consider home care support services. That’s because home care would be another expense they might not believe is realistic to incur, at least not at this point in their life.
If somebody’s limited in their income, how can they afford home care?
Medicaid does offer reimbursement for home care services for short-term care, but when a veteran requires assistance for long-term care, there are some pensions that can be beneficial at helping them get the support they need to maintain quality of life, safety, mobility, and more.
One of those pensions is called the Aid and Attendance Benefit.
This pension was developed following World War I and while it initially provided financial support for injured and disabled veterans after battle, it expanded to provide support for veterans of all ages. Veterans don’t need to have been in a forward combat situation and they do not need to have been injured and disabled during their time of service. Their challenges can come many years later. It could happen due to an accident, illness, age, and a number of other factors.
For qualifying veterans, the Aid and Attendance Benefit can provide financial support.
When a veteran has been told by his or her doctor that home care is something to seriously consider right now, they might want to look into the Homebound pension or Aid and Attendance Benefit. These pensions can provide financial support to pay for home care services to qualifying veterans.
The veteran needs to be considered a wartime veteran, have served at least 90 days active duty in one of the major branches of the United States military (two years if they served any time during the Gulf War), have limited income and assets, and be able to prove home care is necessary at this point in his or her life.
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.
