Veterans Benefits: Paying for Senior Care
Last Updated: November 5, 2018
Are you a veteran or the daughter, son or spouse of one? Do you know about all of the veterans benefits that you or a senior loved one have earned?
A Place for Mom has helped guide many families and veterans in their search for senior care and part of this involves helping veterans become aware of the benefits that they are entitled to, but may not know about.
Read more about the little-known Aid & Attendance benefit, which can provide substantial assistance to veterans who require care but are unable to pay for the full costs privately.
How Veterans Benefits Help Families Pay for Senior Care
Depending on the veteran’s care needs and financial status, the Aid & Attendance benefit can provide $2,170 or more towards the cost of assisted living or other types of senior care. The benefit is available to qualified veterans or a surviving spouse who is 65 or older.
Eligibility factors include:
- A medically documented need for daily help
- A monthly income and assets below the limits set by the VA
- An honorable discharge
- Service during wartime
With the relatively high cost of senior care, the benefit can be a godsend for families who would have had great difficulty affording senior care otherwise.
You can read A Place for Mom’s “Guide to VA Benefits and Long-Term Care” for more information about eligibility and a complete list of documents that a veteran will need to apply for the benefit.
Our Commitment to Veterans
A Place for Mom commissioned a survey conducted by Harris Interactive which found that 69% of senior veterans and their loved ones were not aware of VA benefits such as Aid &Attendance. A longstanding criticism of the VA is that it has not done enough to educate senior veterans about the benefit.
A Place for Mom is committed to assuring veterans and their loved ones aren’t deprived of benefits they have earned through their brave and honorable service.
A Place for Mom’s Chief Sales Officer, Jennifer Mellet, says, “Veterans are often eligible for benefits, but the process to apply is not well-promoted or may be so complicated that families are unsure where to begin. Our goal is to raise awareness and help our nation’s veterans access the support they need.”
Veterans and their loved ones searching for senior care can speak with an A Place for Mom Senior Living Advisor to learn more about Aid & Attendance. Our Senior Living Advisors can also help families find providers that are Aid & Attendance approved.
Veterans Benefits and Resources
For basic information on veterans benefits for seniors, visit our free “Guide to VA Benefits and Long-Term Care,” which contains everything you need to know about Aid & Attendance and related benefits.
Other helpful resources include:
- The American Legion
- The Veterans Benefits Administration
- The Veterans of Foreign Wars
- VA-accredited claims specialists and attorneys (be sure to check the Better Business Bureau, references and reviews before you sign any financial agreement)
- Your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs
Do you or a loved one have veterans benefits? What would you like to let other families know about this process? Share your story with us in the comments below.
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