Do you know about an important benefit for veterans? It’s called the Aid & Attendance Benefit and it may help your loved one pay for assisted living.
Veterans of war sometimes return home to completely changed environments. Some may even suffer trauma as a result of their dedication and patriotism. Recognizing the sacrifices they’ve made is an important part of the very fabric of our nation, and as such, there’s important veteran benefit we’d like you to know about.
It’s called the Aid & Attendance Benefit. If you are the family member of a veteran, finding out if your loved one is eligible can help relieve some of the worries about how to pay for the cost of assisted living or nursing home care.
This is a special pension benefit administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It helps pay for assisted living expenses or nursing home costs, if certain criteria are met.
What You Need to Know About Aid & Attendance Benefits
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs maintains a helpful page on their website that contains everything you need to know about the Aid & Attendance Benefit. But here’s a quick summary of the program:
- The A&A benefit is only available to veterans and their surviving spouses if the veteran meets eligibility requirements for a VA pension, which include having served at least 90 days of active duty service. At least one day must have been during wartime.
- In addition, to receive a pension, a veteran must be at least 65 years old or be totally and permanently disabled (which can include living in a nursing home or receiving skilled nursing care). Other qualifying criteria include receiving Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).
- The veteran and/their surviving spouse must also meet one of the following four conditions:
- they are bedridden
- they live in a nursing home due to mental or physical problems
- they are blind or nearly blind
- they require the aid of another person to perform everyday living tasks (dressing, bathing, feeding, adjusting to prosthetics, toileting, and protecting yourself from everyday hazards in a normal environment)
A few additional but important details to know are:
- This benefit is separate from and in addition to a veteran’s monthly pension and disability compensation.
- Veterans apply through the same VA regional office where they filed a claim for their VA pension or by you writing to the Pension Management Center in your state.
Veterans Wall of Honor at Legacy Senior Living
At Legacy Senior Living, we recognize the sacrifice our veterans have made in many ways. At each of our locations throughout the country, you will find a dedicated space we call the ‘Veterans Wall of Honor’.
Each branch of the military is commemorated and each resident veteran is honored with a picture on that wall. It’s a wonderful way for our residents to feel proud of their community and the place they live. Interested in learning more on how we foster community at all our senior living locations? Call us. We’d love to schedule a time for you to stop by for a personal tour!