Honoring Our Veterans - The Benefits of Home Care for Our Heroes
November is here and for many of us, that means the start of the holiday season and the chaos of shopping and preparing for holiday meals. For many others of us, November - specifically November 11th - signifies a time for a pause to remember our veterans who served their country and the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and safety.
At Senior Helpers, we would like to honor our veterans, many of whom we serve, this month with a reminder of how in-home care can support and provide assistance to veterans across our nation.
According to the 2018 Census data, the median age of veterans in the United States is 65, meaning that most U.S. veterans qualify as seniors.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has many programs to help aging veterans as they face growing health concerns and challenges as they age. Here are just a few ways that Senior Helpers can help make life just a little bit easier for those who need help.
VA’s Aid & Attendance Benefit
Senior Helpers aids senior Veterans (and their families) understand how they can qualify and apply for the VA’s Aid & Attendance Benefit, which pays seniors for the in-home senior care they need to live comfortably and safely.
Veterans, their spouses, and surviving spouses of veterans may be eligible for this benefit, which is a tax-free pension benefit that provides financial aid to help offset the cost of long-term, non-medical, in-home care.
According to Benefits.com online, “VA Aid & Attendance benefits were created for aging veterans facing debilitating health challenges. The program provides additional financial assistance to elderly veterans who struggle with day-to-day life and require assistance in some form, whether that is from a spouse or medical caregiver.”
Veterans must meet certain criteria to be eligible for A&A payments and our team can help each veteran and their family learn how to access the benefit. Some of the qualifying criteria include that the veteran must be 65 years of age or older (except for a few, case-by-case exceptions if the veteran is entirely disabled) and must be a wartime veteran with a history of active duty.
In-Home Care Options
Senior Helpers understand that the time eventually comes for us to take care of veterans as well as they have taken care of us over their years of service.
That care can come in many different forms and our team members can work closely with professional assistance organizations to make sure that veterans and their spouses receive the benefits they deserve as quickly as possible. This assistance may include:
- Assistance with activities of daily living
- Alzheimer’s and dementia care
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Light housekeeping
- Meal planning and preparation
- Medication reminders
- Companionship
- Transportation to and from appointments
- Personal care
This option of in-home care by Senior Helpers can preserve the independence and freedom that many veterans desire as they age. Talk to our team about our veteran assistance benefits and how they can be accessed.