Veteran’s Assistance for Home Care Greene & Fayette Counties

VA Long Term Care Services

Services at home and in the community are part of the VA Medical Benefits Package. All enrolled veterans are eligible for these services. However, to get the service you must have a clinical need for it. Veterans must be enrolled in VA health care before applying for VA long term care services. Enrolled in VA health care means you have applied for VA health care benefits and receive care through a VA facility on a regular basis. Most Veterans in Fayette and Greene County will have their care at the Fayette County VA Clinic but may also conduct the care at the Washington County VA Clinic or the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center depending on their location.  Receiving financial compensation for a VA disability does not automatically enroll you in VA health care. You may be eligible for VA health care services (known as the Standard Medical Benefits Package) if you served in the military and were discharged for any reason other than dishonorable.  Visit your local VA medical center’s new patient registration office to complete and submit the VA application for Health benefits or enroll online at: https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply

There are three levels of VA pensions:

1. Basic Pension: For healthy veterans over the age of 65 with low incomes.
2. Aid & Attendance: For veterans over the age of 65 that require assistance with their activities of daily living. This pension provides additional monthly income over and above the basic monthly pension.
3. Housebound: An increased monthly pension amount paid to a veteran or surviving spouse who is substantially confined to home because of a permanent disability. More information about VA Pension Benefits visit: benefits.va.gov/pension

VA Survivors Pension offers a monthly payment to qualifying surviving spouses, and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans, who meet certain income and net worth limits set by congress.  More information about VA Survivors Pension visit: va.gov/pension/survivors-pension.

Who is eligible?

Financial Requirements

Veterans must have a net worth at, or less than $130,772. A primary residence and auto are not counted as part of net worth. On-going, non-reimbursable medical and long-term care expenses may reduce their countable income.

More information about financial requirements for the VA Pension visit: va.gov/pension/veterans-pension-rates.

Period of Military Service

Veterans must be considered “wartime veterans” meaning, they served at least 90 days and served at least 1 day during the wartime dates below, but not necessarily in combat:

• World War II: Dec 7, 1941 – Dec 31, 1946
• Korean War: Jun 27, 1950 – Jan 31, 1955
• Vietnam War: Aug 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975 (or Feb 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975 for Veterans who served in Vietnam)
• Gulf War: Aug 2, 1990 – Undetermined

Veterans must have at least 90 days of active duty, including one day during a war if the active duty occurred after September 7, 1980. You must have served at least 24 months or the full period that you were called up (with some exceptions).

Medical

If you get a VA pension and you meet at least one of the requirements listed below, you may be eligible for the A&A benefit.

• You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing; or
• You have to stay in bed, or spend a large portion of the day in bed, because of illness; or
• Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less).

 NOTE:  Veterans cannot get Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits at the same time.

Applying for VA Pension Benefits

Veterans may apply for this benefit online, by mail or in person. If assistance is needed, an accredited representative, like a Veterans Service Officer (VCO) may help.

How to apply for Veterans Pension benefits

Home Instead also has preferred vendors that successfully supported clients with the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit. Each vendor offers unique services that support with the application for the Aid & Attendance pension benefit. For information on these vendors, see the “additional VA resources” section below.

Support for Military Family Caregivers

VA’s Family Caregivers Program provides support and assistance to caregivers of post 9/11 veterans and medically discharged service members. Eligible primary family caregivers can receive a stipend, training, mental health services, travel and lodging reimbursement and access to health insurance if they are not already covered under a health care plan.

For more information, contact your local VA medical facility and speak with a caregiver support coordinator, visit caregiver.va.gov or dial toll-free 1.877.222.VETS (8387).

Additional VA Resources

Veterans Care Coordination

Veterans Care Coordination is a resource available to assist Veterans and surviving spouses in obtaining the Pension with Aid and Attendance benefit, and to help pay for home care when they require regular assistance with activities of daily living. VCC simplifies the process and can often help with getting care started immediately. For more information visit: www.vcchc.com.

Aid and Attendance

AidandAttendance.com is an e-tool offered through Veterans Financial, Inc. which was developed to provide easy- to-understand and accurate veterans’ benefit information. AidandAttendance.com has an application software that allows a family to complete the 30+ pages of VA paperwork online in 1 hour. The website ensures applicants have included all the necessary forms so they can benefit from the VA’s Fully Developed Claim expedited application process. This can avoid months of back and forth with the VA prior to approval.

For more information visit: www.aidandattendance.com. www.veteranshomecare.com.

Vet Assist

Veterans Home Care^® is a family-owned company offering the exclusive VetAssist^® Program which helps wartime veterans or their surviving spouses access a VA benefit and home care. Our clients are served by our nationwide network of home care providers and our unparalleled expertise with the Department for Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance benefit. We change lives. Our typical clients start from little to no awareness of the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit to having assistance with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping and companionship in their own home paid by their military service.

For more information visit:  https://veteranshomecare.com/vet-assist/