Learning to adapt and change in life is pretty much a necessity. If we don’t adapt, we will either get stuck in a rut, our safety is compromised, or we don’t get to enjoy all that life has to offer. Yes, there are plenty of people who simply refuse to adapt to their changing environment or circumstances, and while that is a problem, there’s little anyone can do to force these changes. For some veterans, if they reach a point of realization that home care is necessary in their life now, how do they make this transition?
It’s not always easy.
Many veterans take a great deal of pride in looking after themselves, taking care of their family and loved ones, and more. They might not be very open to the idea of relying on outside assistance.
How can we get them thinking about this?
One of the most important things is to offer support and to listen. Far too often when people are concerned about the safety and well-being of their aging loved ones, they have a tendency to talk over them. They hear any resistance to the idea of home care support as being stubbornness, outright defiance, or something else.
In reality, these veterans might have certain questions about home care support. Most people know very little about home care aides and the benefits they offer. They may have certain misconceptions or preconceived notions about it that lead them to not even want to think about it further.
By sitting down and asking questions, listening to what they have to say, and being armed with accurate, reliable information about home care services, we can get the conversation started.
Some veterans may not think it’s affordable.
There are plenty of veterans who are limited in their income. They might be retired relying on a pension or Social Security, they might be disabled, or they might have some other limited income coming in. For these men and women, the Aid and Attendance Benefit is a pension that might be able to help them pay for home care services.
They must be able to prove home care is needed, be considered a wartime veteran, served a minimum of 90 days active duty (two years if they served any time during the Gulf War), and have limited income and assets.
For those veterans who do want to adapt and be safe, home care is a great option, and they should be encouraged to fill out the Aid and Attendance Application if they believe they would qualify as soon as possible.
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.
