Good news! The VA has several programs designed to assist elderly and/or disabled veterans who want to stay at home for as long as possible. Listed below are some of these programs. They each have different eligibility tests regarding income and assets, minimum age, level of disability, service-connected rating, and geography. If you are interested in any specific program, talk to the outpatient social worker at the VA clinic that you use.

1. Three hours of home health aides per week.
2. Skilled care at home.
3. Adult Day Health – the VA has contracts with many local adult day health programs.
4. TeleHealth (a computer in your home permits a remote nurse to monitor basic health indicators on a daily basis).
5. Home-Based Primary Care. For the truly home-bound, veterans can receive home visits from a team consisting of the PCP, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, and more.
6. Veterans Independence Plus Program (VIPP) provides a budget for a veteran to bring in the care he needs to stay at home, including home health aides, grocery delivery, snow shoveling, visiting nurses, etc.
7. Respite care, meaning that the caregiver can take a break while the veteran stays at the Brockton Community Living Center for 9, 16, 23, or 30 days.

These programs are available only to the veteran. If the spouse or widow of a veteran needs help staying at home, she should look into Aid & Attendance. If you would like further help exploring these programs or other resources to help you stay at home for as long as possible, please contact our office to schedule a Planning Session.

Most of my clients need a little extra help around the house but aren’t sure how to pay for it. When we look at their savings and project how long those funds will work for them, the bottom line is usually this: If the client had just a little more cushion, they could stay at home with the proper supports for longer. But where can they find the money?

For many of the Greatest Generation, the answer lies in Veterans’ Benefits. There is a fantastic program that few seniors and their families know about: Aid & Attendance. Once you qualify, the VA will send a monthly check that you can use to pay caregivers, buy medical equipment, remodel a bathroom to be wheelchair accessible, pay rent at assisted living – whatever you decide is the best and most effective use of that money. This is the most logical, pragmatic long-term care program I know of. It helps seniors stay at home or in an assisted living residence – and out of a nursing home – for longer. All without limiting you to certain home health aide agencies, rolling deductibles, and a lot of the impediments that come with other support programs.

For 2014, the figures are as follows: If the veteran needs assistance, the maximum amount that he or she can receive is $1,759 per month. If the spouse is the one who needs help at home, he or she can receive up to $1,380 per month. A widow can receive at most $1,130 per month. If you both need care, you can receive up to $2,085 per month. These funds can help supplement home care, and they can also be very useful if you move to assisted living.

The application process for the A&A program is not for the faint of heart. There are reams of papers to fill out (of course), and it can take at least six months to receive approval. More to the point, the VA regulations are hard to find, and if you can find them, impossible to understand. More than almost any other government program, you will need an elder law attorney or a qualified veterans’ representative to walk you through the planning process. Without this help, it is very difficult to obtain the maximum benefits you are entitled to.

In order to assist you, an attorney must be “certified” by the VA and take requisite training. I have made it my business to become certified and receive the necessary education so that I can help my clients stay at home for longer.

If you would like to explore whether A&A can help you pay for your care, please call our office.