Assisted Living, Adult Family Home, Home Care Benefit for Veterans

An Little Known Veteran’s Benefit

By Mark Robinson, Elder Care Advisor at Elder Services NW

Have you have heard about the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit? If you answered “No”, you are not alone. In fact, according to a study prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2004, up to 2 million eligible veterans and surviving spouses may be missing out on the benefit, which pays for a portion of Assisted Living, Nursing Home, or In-Home care. It is estimated that only one in four eligible veterans, and one in seven surviving spouses are collecting the benefit. When one considers the high cost of care these days, this is indeed a shame. One reason the Aid and Attendance benefit may be underused is the belief that the disability must stem from a service related injury. This is not the case.

Eligibility requirements for the Aid and Attendance benefit are actually fairly straight forward. First, for a veteran or surviving spouse to qualify, the veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military service, one day of which was during a period of war, and be discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Second, the veteran or surviving spouse must have a physician’s order confirming that they cannot live alone and require assistance with activities of daily living such as help with bathing, dressing, or medication management. The final criteria are financial. In order to qualify, an applicant must have less than $80,000 in assets, excluding their home and vehicles, as well as an annual income of no more than $22,000.

One complaint I have heard from seniors and their families relates to the application process. Applications typically take four to six months for the Department of Veterans Affairs to process, assuming a senior has submitted all the required forms and answered all the questions. Once a pension benefit is approved, however, it’s retroactive to when the senior applied. With nursing home costs commonly exceeding $6,000 per month, it is well worth the effort.

Additional information and assistance in applying for the Aid and Attendance benefit may be obtained by calling the VA at 1-800-827-1000. Applications may be submitted on-line at http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp. Information is also available on the Internet at www.va.gov or from your local veteran’s service organization.

About Mark Robinson

Mark is the owner of Elder Services NW, a free senior living referral and placement service. He spent several years as a licensed administrator at retirement, assisted living, and dementia care communities prior to starting Elder Services NW. He specializes in referrals to Independent Retirement Communities, Assisted Living, Dementia Care Facilities, and Adult Family Homes. He is committed to walking beside families every step of the way to ensure that families and seniors truly make the right decision at the right time. Please visit Mark’s web site at www.elderservicesnw.com, or feel free to call at (360) 224-7916.