If you are a veteran or a surviving spouse, you may qualify for veteran home care services. Qualifying veterans can apply for benefits to pay for home care services with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). The VA Aid and Attendance Pension benefit allow veterans in need to receive assistance with daily living activities by catering to in-home care costs. Below are the critical facts about the veteran home care services.
Eligibility for Veteran Home Care Services
Typically, individuals must meet three qualifications for veteran's home care programs.
Enrollment in VA health care benefits: The first step in qualifying for VA in-home care services is to enroll with the VA health care benefits. In this case, one has to have served in active duty in the military, naval, or air services. More so, one should not have been discharged dishonorably. Upon application, the VA usually assigns the veterans to a priority group based on their needs. Ordinarily, veterans applying for in-home care services may already be receiving the VA health care benefits.
Eligibility for community care services: Any veteran enrolled in the VA health care should also qualify for community care. In such cases, the assumption is that there is no convenient VA facility offering the hospital, medical, or extended care services needed by a veteran. In practice, the VA does not provide home caregivers or health aides. Thus, veterans seeking them often qualify for community care.
Clinical eligibility: Finally, the veteran must meet the qualifications for a home health aide's assistance. The VA determines the need for assisted living based on a comprehensive assessment conducted by a primary care provider. Such an assessment may consider age, living arrangement, and dependence on activities of daily living, cognitive impairments, and medical history. The assessment's findings establish the need, type, and duration of VA homecare services.
Types of Veteran Home Care Services
Depending on the level of need, a veteran may require the services of a home caregiver. Their job usually deals with personal care and housekeeping. Specifically, personal care includes assistance with bathing, brushing, grooming, cooking, and eating. Then, housekeeping services consist of cleaning, laundry, and shopping tasks. Additionally, aids may also help with gardening, pet care, and correspondence.
In comparison, home health aides are trained and certified professionals who offer healthcare-related services. These professionals assist veterans with medication and wound management. More so, they can offer physical therapy for patients recovering from injuries, those with mobility problems, or those who are bed-ridden. Lastly, they provide nutritional support by monitoring meals and hydration. Notably, veteran home care services can also cater to respite care to allow family caregivers to take a break from caregiving.
Overall, veteran home care services are programs that offer assisted living services to allow veterans to age with dignity. Enroll in a veteran home care program in your area to access benefits to cater to homecare services costs.
