Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
Wednesday December 24, 2014 - Jennifer Prell
All Veterans deserve the benefits they've
earned. They are typically not transferrable and should be taken as
soon as you are able.
Whether you are living
in your own home or live in an assisted living community, there are many
benefits available to veterans. This
information may also be helpful if you spend time in a rehabilitation center
and need additional assistance when you return home.
Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension
If you receive a VA
pension, you may be eligible to receive additional monthly monetary benefits
from the VA. This is a separate pension from all other pensions and
benefits you are currently earning. If you:
- Are over the age
of 65
- Require the help
of another person for everyday personal care needs (such as bathing,
dressing, meal preparation, medication management or toileting), or
- Are bedridden, or
- Live in a nursing
home and are physically or mentally incapacitated, or
- Have poor
eyesight (5/200 corrected visual acuity or less in both eyes)
You can use your Aid and Attendance payments
to help pay for the services that you need.
This benefit is available to veterans and their surviving spouse.
Home Health Care
A Home Health Aide is
a trained person who can come to a Veteran’s home and help with activities of
daily living. Home Health Aides are not
nurses but they are supervised by a registered nurse who will help assess the
Veteran’s daily living needs. Aides can
be provided to Veterans who need skilled services, case management and
assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as
bathing, dressing, medication reminders or even making
meals. The veteran may be isolated or their caregiver is
experiencing burden.
TeleHealth Care
TeleHealth care is a
home
service that allows the Veteran's physician or nurse to monitor the Veteran's
medical condition remotely using home monitoring equipment. Veterans can
be referred to a care coordinator for enrollment in TeleHealth Care services by
any member of their care team. Enrollment is approved by a VA provider
for Veterans who meet the clinical need for the service.
Community Residential Care
The Community
Residential Care program is for Veterans who do not need hospital or nursing
home care, but cannot live alone because of medical or psychiatric conditions.
This type of care takes place in a number of settings including Assisted Living
Communities, Personal Care, Family Care or Group Living Homes, and Psychiatric
Residential Care Homes. These places are inspected and approved by VA medical
center staff, but are chosen by the Veteran.
Home Modification Programs
The VA has three main programs to assist
disabled veterans with home modifications.
The Special
Adaptive Housing Grant is designed to help provide a barrier-free living
environment that affords the individual a level of independent living they may
not otherwise enjoy, such as creating a wheelchair accessible home.
Veterans with specific service-connected disabilities may be entitled to a
grant for the purpose of constructing or modifying a home to meet their
adaptive needs.
The Special
Home Adaptation Grant is for modifying an existing home to meet adaptive
needs, such as assistance with mobility throughout the home. Veterans
with specific service-connected disabilities may be entitled to this type of
grant.
The Home
Improvements and Structural Alterations Grant may provide the veteran with
assistance for any home improvement necessary for the continuation of treatment
or for disability access to the home and essential lavatory and sanitary
facilities. It is available to veterans who have received a medical
determination indicating that improvements and structural alterations are
necessary for the effective and economical treatment of their disability.
To inquire about the programs and if you might
be eligible to receive any assistance, please contact the Veterans Assistance
Commission office in your county. If you
are unaware of who to contact, please contact Elderwerks.