VA Aid and Attendance Benefit: Are you aware of this to help pay for Home Care?

The VA Aid and Attendance Pension is available and can offer payment for Home Care services for eligible veterans and their spouses. This would include assistance with personal care (bathing, dressing, toileting, and eating), meal preparation, ambulation, and medication management. This assistance may help you remain living safely and comfortably in your own home rather than move into a nursing home. The Application for Compensation and/or Pension form needs to be filled out along with proper documentation of your veteran status and finances.

The Application can be found by clicking here.

The rates for 2009 are as follows:

• Veteran with Spouse - maximum monthly amount of $1,949.00
• Single Veteran - maximum monthly amount of $1,644.00
• Surviving Spouse - maximum monthly amount $1,056.00

Obviously you must first qualify for this pension. Here is a generalization of some of the requirements:

• You or your spouse must be a veteran with an honorable or general discharge
• Be 65 years of age or older
• Have a medical diagnosis from your doctor that requires assistance with Activities of Daily Living
• Have a limited income and a qualifying net worth,
• And have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during WWII, Korea, Vietnam Conflict, or the Persian Gulf.

An elder law attorney, estate planner, and or geriatric care manager are good resources to discuss this benefit with prior to applying for it. You may want to make sure that it won’t interfere with future benefits. But, it is well worth looking into as a source of income to assist with your senior care. Call Independence HomeCare, Inc. for more referral sources.