For many veterans, integrating back into civilian life is challenging. Issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can make it difficult to navigate life back home. There may also be financial stresses, one of which can manifest later in life as high living costs when it comes to retirement care. Luckily, there are veterans benefits for assisted living in East Highland Park, VA that can help defray these costs.
Aid and Attendance
The Aid and Attendance benefit is offered via the Department of Veterans Affairs. This financial resource is one of the most overlooked when it comes to resources for veterans in assisted living. It is a monthly, needs-based payment that goes beyond the VA pension, and helps cover the costs of long-term care. In particular, it is for veterans who need the aid of one more person to safely carry out their daily living activities. These can include grooming, dressing, eating, getting around, and more. An individual who cannot perform these tasks is unable to live independently. A veteran may be eligible for this benefit if this applies to them, even if their difficulties are not the result of military service. Aid and Attendance is usually awarded when a veteran has Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, given that these diseases will require them to stay in a protected environment for their safety.
While Aid and Attendance funds are not awarded specifically to cover assisted living costs, they can be used for that purpose. Find out more about the Aid and Attendance pension (which the link explains in clear, accessible language) for a further breakdown of the payout amount and eligibility. Briefly, however:
- An Aid and Attendance pension can range from $1,209 monthly for the surviving spouse of a veteran to $2,230 monthly for a veteran and their spouse.
- To be financially eligible for Aid and Attendance, a single veteran needs to have an annual countable income of $22,577; if a veteran has a dependent or spouse, the countable annual income must be under $26,765.
- To be eligible, the veteran must also require assistance with daily living activities, be residing in long-term care for physical or mental reasons, be bedridden, or possess a significant visual impairment.
Basic Pensions
Another benefit is the VA Pension, which can be accessed by veterans over 65. While these pensions are not specifically for assisted living costs, they can be used for these costs if the veteran so wishes. The basic pension is granted to healthy veterans over 65 who are either low-income or qualify on other requirements. To be eligible, a veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty; one of these days should also have been during active wartime. They must also meet at least one of the requirements below:
- Have limited or no income
- Be receiving Social Security Disability Insurance
- Be receiving Supplemental Security Income
- Be totally and permanently disabled
- Be residing permanently in a nursing home
Getting Help
These two benefits are some of the ways that you can defray the costs of assisted living. Should you have further questions, you can use the Veterans Assistance Facility Locator to help point you to a location where you can seek further advice.