Veterans and Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit, part 1
Re-posting some initial information on veterans benefits summarized by “A Place for Mom”…more details to follow over next couple of blog posts…
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When it comes to paying for some living expenses, many older adults remain unaware of the options available. This rings especially true for elderly who may have served in the military. There is one payment source which can potentially assist both veterans, and/or surviving spouses: the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid and Attendance program.
More than half of all veterans are 65 or older, according to the latest VA statistics. While the long-standing Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit can cover thousands each year in a veteran’s senior living and caregiving expenses, only an estimated quarter of eligible seniors apply.
Eligibility might be less restrictive than many seniors think. The key issue is to fully understand sources of income, AND cost of living expenses.
What is the VA Aid and Attendance benefit?
Aid and Attendance is a federal pension, which may provide a substantial monthly payment for eligible veterans and surviving spouses. Older veterans or spouses who can no longer manage their care independently can use the sum to partially pay for assisted living, memory care, a nursing home, or in-home care services.
When it comes to paying for senior living, many older adults remain unaware of the options available. All veterans should be made to understand eligibility criteria for (VA) Aid and Attendance program.
Criteria for eligibility starts with service enlistment in any of the following timeperiods:
–Mexican Border period May 9, 1916 – April 5, 1917
–World War I April 6, 1917 – Nov. 11, 1918
–World War II Dec. 7, 1941 – Dec. 31, 1946
–Korean conflict June 27, 1950 – Jan. 31, 1955
–Vietnam War Era Feb. 28, 1961 – May 1975 for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam (Aug. 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975 for other veterans)
–Gulf War Aug. 2, 1990 – future date to be determined by law or a presidential order
Veterans are required to have been honorably discharged from their duties of enlistment.
In addition, a veteran’s health must require assistance with one or more of his/her “activities of daily living”. Some examples are:
-The veteran needs a caregiver to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), like dressing, showering, or toileting.
-The veteran is bedridden as the result of an illness.
-The veteran lives in a nursing home due to a physical or cognitive disability.
-The veteran’s vision is 5/200 or less in both eyes or the veteran has a visual field of 5 degrees or fewer.
More to follow next week…
- Small Cost Increase in Medicare Part B for 2025 - November 18, 2024
- November Caregiver Month, pt 2 - November 11, 2024
- November is National Family Caregivers Month - November 7, 2024
- How Home Care Helps - November 4, 2024
- What is Home Care? - October 25, 2024
- Social Security COLA Set at 2.5% for 2025 - October 14, 2024
- In-Home Elder Care - October 10, 2024
- Signs Your Elderly Parents Need Help at Home, pt. 2 - September 30, 2024
- Signs That Your Elderly Parents Need Help at Home, pt. 1 - September 23, 2024
- Home Care for Elders: Key Takeaways, pt3 - September 16, 2024
John D. Miller is the founder/owner of Home Care Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts business providing private duty, personalized in-home assistance and companion care services to those needing help in daily activities and household functions.
Phone: (781) 378-2164
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://homecarepartnersma.com
