For Veterans Who Need Home Care
There are an estimated 23 million veterans living in the United States right now, and for elderly veterans, home care may be necessary at some point in time. Home care is a form of assistance provided by an aide within the comfort of the senior’s home.
For some aging veterans, the Aid and Attendance Benefit could be extremely beneficial, providing monetary assistance in excess to other pensions the veteran receives, that would specifically be used to pay a home care aide.
There are a number of stipulations regarding who would qualify as requiring home care assistance, including some of the following (from Military.com):
- The veteran requires the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting himself/herself from the hazards of his/her daily environment, OR,
- The veteran is bedridden, in that his/her disability or disabilities requires that he/she remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, OR,
- The veteran is a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,
- The veteran is blind, or so nearly blind as to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less, in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.
If a veteran falls under one of these categories, there are other stipulations to the Aid and Attendance Benefit, such as the veteran needs to have served at least 90 days of active duty service in the United States military. At least one of their days of service has to have fallen during a time of active combat, as defined by Congress. That doesn’t mean the veteran needs to have served in a combat situation; only that he or she has to have served during a time when the United States was actively involved in combat.
When applying for the Aid and Attendance Benefit, it is important to make sure the veteran includes copies of all evidence stipulating to the need for home care support. Getting the right type of support and assistance in filling out the application could be vital for an aging veteran being approved for it.
Finally, due to a backlog in the V.A., approval for the Aid and Attendance Benefit could take several months or up to a year, so it’s best to begin the process as soon as possible.
For more information and to learn about veterans in home care, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.
