VA Benefits - Another Way to Pay for Care

Veterans that are part of the Department of Veteran's Affairs health care program may be eligible for benefits for either home-based or institutional care. It is an often overlooked avenue to help pay for needed care.

It is far beyond the scope of this blog to go into detail as to how to go about applying for benefits. It is the intent of this post to make you aware that this option exists so you can research to determine if it is a viable option. If your aging parent is a Veteran and is part of the VA system some of the benefits may include: geriatric primary care, home based care, skilled home care, adult day care, VA Community Living Centers, and community based nursing homes.

There are stringent qualification requirements that must be met for both the home and institutional care benefits. Each case will be evaluated individually looking into the case from both a medical and financial perspective.

Each family must decide if they are able to handle the eligibility process on their own or if the better way to go is to hire an advocate to handle the process on their behalf. The important thing though is to take advantage of the benefits available and not be intimidated by the process.

A good place to start the research is on the VA website, www.va.gov/geriatrics/

Home Health Care and the Elderly

At some point there may be a need to hire aides whether on a temporary or permanent basis. It can be overwhelming both in terms of costs and finding reliable help. The information offered in this first blog on the subject is meant to be an overview.

Assuming your aging parent has Medicare as well as one of the supplemental medigap insurance policies, some short-term home health assistance may be covered by insurance if the physician deems it necessary following a hospitalization. As a general rule though, neither Medicare or Medigap policies cover longer term home health care. This falls into the realm of Long Term Care Insurance.

It's important to determine the type of help needed. Is the need for someone to drive your aging parent to a doctor's appointment, grocery shop, and make a meal? Or, is there a need for someone more medically qualified to care for health related needs. This is important when deciding where to go to get help.

Once some of the basic needs are defined, finding the right home health person is the next step. Several options are:

Personal referrals from friends and relatives

Local community based organizations such as religious organizations or local councils on aging.

Home Health Care agencies

Home Health Care registries

The difference between an agency and a registry is that the workers for an agency are their employees. A registry lists independent contractors. This can be an important distinction.

Another factor to consider other than cost (which will be the subject of my next blog) is whether anyone is available to supervise the aide. Unfortunately, the elderly are very vulnerable and easily taken advantage of, especially if they aren't feeling well. Hiring someone from an agency, although admittedly more expensive, may be the better way to go if there isn't anyone around to pay attention.

Maybe there was an era when multi-generations of the family all lived close by and there were plenty of people to take care of an aging relative. For many, this just doesn't exist any longer and other options need to be explored when a family member needs assistance.