While most veteran benefits are geared toward combat veterans or service-related disabilities, health care is not one of those benefits. The Veterans Administration provides a Medical Benefits Package that applies to all veterans except those with a dishonorable discharge.
The Medical Benefits Package is based on active military service and not limited to combat service. There are more services available at more intensive levels for those with service-connected disabilities rated at 70% or more. Both men and women veterans are subject to the same levels of service which are described in the Medical Benefits Package available online or from the Veterans Administration.
Home Health Care
Home Health Care is professional medical or therapeutic services offered in the home of a veteran with chronic diseases or are homebound due to accident, injury or service-connected disability. Nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy or a range of social services are available through the Veterans Administration for eligible veterans. The VA will make the total, partial or marginal payment for the necessary services.
Some examples of needs that can be filled by home health care benefits include:
• Homemaker services for grocery shopping, housecleaning or cooking
• Home Health Aides will assist with personal care activities
• Nursing professionals to monitor medications or post-surgical dressing changes
• Physical therapists identify and assist with strength/mobility issues
• Occupational therapists help with re-learning daily activities after stroke or neurological injury or disease
• Speech therapists identify and assist in issues where re-learning is necessary, both speaking and word identification
Any of these services are available to eligible veterans for intermittent, transitional or short-term on a needs-determined basis according to the Veterans Administration. Other health care programs which may be available to the veteran must be utilized first. Skilled home health care through the VA is available after any other health care program benefits have been exhausted and an on-going need is determined by the VA.
Outsourcing Care Where Necessary
The Veterans Healthcare Agency may find it necessary to seek services from state-licensed community resources for a time period not to exceed 30 days if that agency has the available staffing and the VA does not. A Determination of Need must be issued by the VA after evaluations are completed and the veteran is awarded and placed with the appropriate agency for service.
There are waiting lists, eligibility lists and enrollment lists. All of these are maintained in accordance with allotted annual budgetary monies available for these services. The Electronic Waiting List is for veterans in need, or are seeking, home health care and budget resources have been drained.
Purchased Home Health Care Services
When money is not available to provide home health care, the veteran is wait-listed. Priority in budgeting goes to eligible veterans who have, or are in need of, nursing home care due to a service-connected disability rated at 50% or more. Of course, any veteran who needs home health care and is willing to purchase all or part of the services will be accommodated. The veteran who is purchasing home health care is able to request specific resources which will be considered.
One-third of veterans receiving purchased home health care will be contacted to ensure that authorized services are being received as expected. This monitoring is part of the upgraded quality control put in place by the Veterans Administration.
Enrollment Restrictions
The past several years have brought an influx of combat veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. As a result, certain eligibility restrictions for access to health care benefits have been implemented. The Secretary is required by law to make adjustments in eligibility. All veterans are still eligible for health care benefits, but for now they are wait-listed. This also means that specialized areas of health care, such as home health care requests, are going to be scrutinized more than any time in the past. Frequent changes in eligibility will be posted at www.va.gov/healtheligibility and all home health care information is located in publication 1140.6 which can be printed from http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1139.
If you liked that post, then try these…
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Study reveals VHA healthcare as good as Medicare by Kristine on August 3rd, 2011
Written by Kristine Wylie, A recent study bearing the Harvard name shows that, when dealing with male cancer patients ages 65 and older, the Veterans Healthcare Administration provides the same care as that with Medicare-funded services.
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Last week I discussed the phenomenon of thousands of our brothers and sisters choosing to live out side of the US.
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Hi, My father has Parkinsons and cannot be left on his own anymore. I am trying to find out if he will have any coverage for health care benefits. He served in the Air Force for 20 years and retired.I know he has Champus and Tri-Care. Any information would be so helpful.Thank You
Do you have coverage for Borrego Springs, California?
need to talk to joanna harris on home health care. iam 91 years old live in apt with wife . cant afford to pay for help. sam
I going back to school for health care administration and while doing research for a paper I came across this website that might help. http://www.veteranshomecare.com. Their phone number is 1-877-390-6377 and they are also based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Hope this helps.
I have just become employed at the Veterans Clinic in Macon and am getting phone calls about Veterans Home health care benefits regarding the Vet coming home from the hospital and requiring care and help at home. Where can I get help with these questions and what paper work do I need to start filling out to help these famlies with disabled older and unwell Vets.
I have an 85 year old uncle who is a veteran and lives in Bronx, N.Y. He is blind and recently had a stroke. Upon being released from the hospital, he was provided home health care assistance but then was cut off because he is not eligible for Medicaid. I don’t believe he has ever accessed the VA Healthcare system or any other VA benefits. Where do I start? I live in California and I’m attempting to assist long distance.
I would start by contacting a VA hospital near him. Try this link to find a local hospital and hopefully they can begin to answer some of your questions: http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/division_flsh.asp?dnum=1
Also this is a link with a phone number you can call to contact someone about his benefits: http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/ Good luck!
my husband is a 76 yoa vetran who served in korea and vietnam twice….he has alzheimers disease and has really deteriorated in th past few years. i have a full time job(because i have to) and do not like to leave him home alone. is there any assistance for us to have someone stay with him while i’m at work ? i work the night shift dispatching 911 from 6pm to 6am and my off days rotate to differant days of the week.please advise me if there is any assistance i can get to help with the cost of someone sitting with him while i’m at work. or if there is someone the va will send in to help me. he is able to take care himself but is getting worse…he can feed himself, bathe, and get around with assistance. i just worry that he will leave the house or get into something that will be harmful to himself. he did leave in the truck one time but we found him about 150 miles from home (and no longer has any keys to the truck). any information will be greatly appreciated for i have been taking care of him on my own for eight years and really need some help………thank you so much, nancy smith
correction from nancy smith. my husband can bathe,eat,dress himself and get around WITHOUT any assistance.
Help Me please! I have my mom with beginning stage of Alzheimers and she is in a retirement home but needs someone to come twice a day to make sure she is taking her medicines. My dad was in WWII and served as a Flyer Tiger, Airforce. He has passed away. My mom should have some type of home health care coverage provided by the government since she is a widor of a verteran. What do I need to do to get this home health care service for her as soon as possible. Paula
Thank you for getting in touch with us Paula. There are a few different organizations that I know of that you can contact. You can contact Linda with Veteran Care Giver at http://www.veterancaregiver.com/register.aspx. Also Veteran Aid is great organization. You can reach them at http://www.veteranaid.org/. We’ve done interviews with both of those organizations if you’d like to look into them further. You can also contact or locate a local VA office for help as well to see if your mom qualifies for VA benefits: http://www1.va.gov/health/
I hope this helps. Keep us posted!
My father is a WWII combat veteran . He is 90 years old and currently has been hospitalized for the past 6 weeks with multiple complications. He is currently insured by Kaiser, and has signed over Medicare coverage to Kaiser.
We were asked in a meeting recently if he has secondary coverage, which he does not.
Could you please inform me of what benefits he may be entitled to from the VA? What procedure must I follow if he is entitled? Given his current condition, time is of the essence. How long would it take for him to receive these benefits? Lastly, is home health care included in these benefit? Thanks for any assistance you may provide.
Robert Bender has had a stroke and has lost physical ability to take care of himself. He has Medicare. What are the options for Nursing Home Facility or staying at home Help.
Thanks for any help.
To both Doug and Robert, thanks so much for contacting us! I would recomment contacting Linda through Veteran Caregiver: http://veterancaregiver.com/ Or try Debbie with Veteran Aid: http://www.veteranaid.org/. They are far more familiar with the ins and outs of how you might go about getting the help you need.
I am taking care of my father, a retired veteran with 20 years of service. I have begun the search for veterans benefits, in particular home health care.
I have found the system to be vague and convuluted. It is, in my opinion, a joke. You literally need an attorney to understand the system. I wonder if this form of health benefit/care is coming for all of us?
In conclusion, I will continue to try to piece together the necessary information, but am constantly amazed at how the government can create such a mess. The reality is, my father will probably die before I figure it out.
i have someone staying with , and they take care of me , they cook clean and take me to the doctors. is there anyway the va can pay them for this?
my husband is 60yrs old and 100% disabled through VA his memory is deterating and im raising is two children and taking care of him this is a fulltime time job im 28yrs old. He is love of my life but i have problems of my own. But with all this added to my plate I was wondering if i can get paid to take care of him like a homecare worker sence im unable to work because of his needs. P.S. He wont let me bring in a stranger i’ve tried to he met them at the door shotgun in hand. what can i do?
My father is veteran with alzheimers.My mother is his caretaker.Dose the VA offer home health care support. Looking for a provider to come in and stay 8hrs a day to assist my mother with the needs my father reqiures. He is 86 and she is 82.
I am trying to find assistance for my Dad who if a retired Vet. My mother has damensia and my dad has arthratis so bad that it is all he can do to make dinner for them. The problem is that my mom needs help bathing and doing daily actavities such as getting dressed extc. I live in florida and only have one sibling that lives in ny that works full time and goes over and tries to keep the house work up as well as the laundry done. Is there any services that my parents would be elegible for to get some in home help that is greately needed.
Please help me. My 86 year old father has been getting his care for diabetes and prostate cancer and general health issues from the VA Hospital in Kansas City, MO. He fell and broke his hip and had a concussion and was taken to a local hospital which placed him in a local rehab which has no VA contract. He is not able to get out of his wheelchair or take care of basic needs and does not have money to remain in that rehab/nursing home facility. I do not know how to go about getting VA contract to get him moved to a VA facility in the area (there are 4 that I am aware of). Please help me – I only have until April 1st to do something…My brother’s house is not wheelchair accessible but if we could get help to build ramp and some skilled nursing care we would love to have him come there to live. thank you for any info you can provide!
Hi Judy. We are looking into this for you. Look for an email from us with more details. Let us know when you get it. We’ll do our best to try to find you the answers you are looking for. Thank you!
My name is Johnetta my father is a veteran and had a triple bypass two weeks ago. He’s required to have around the clock care now at the hospital, and he will need the same care when he gets home. Myself and my two sisters are doing the best we can but we are getting tired and we all have kids and jobs. I also stay 75 miles away so I’m having to drive to do my part. Is there any kind of home health care he can receive?
My Father is a WWII Veteran and is now 87 years old and has been diagnosed with Full Blown Dementia. He was recently hospitalized with an Infection and Phuenumonia. Although, the prior has been resolved the Dementia is now most prevelant on our minds. He has been prescribed with Excelon to assist in his maintenance and well being. My Wife and I have cared for my Father for some years now and are seeking addtional assistance. To add more, to this mix both my Father and I are on Dialysis in addtion to other medicatl issues we are coping with.
Ultimately, we need any infoamtion or assistance to allevate some of the mounting stress upon our household. Can you at least point me in the proper direction?
Thank you
Randy James Jr.
Hello, my name is Lisa E. Pearson (widow of deceased veteran) Willie L. Pearson, I am a new Owner of Exceptional Home Healthcare,LLC I am trying to find out who I need to contact as far as obtaining clientele for veterans through the V.A. if you could please e-mail me as soon as information is obtained, I promise to have the cheapest rates!! great professionalism as well. Please contact me as soon as possible, also opening up an assisted living facility in the next 4-6 months.
Sincerely,
Lisa E. Pearson
(502)644-0278
Lisa
Did you receive any telephone calls on this request. I am doing the same thing in Texas and no one can tell mehow to do it!
Let me know
thanks
ceaserm2002@yahoo.com
My father-in-law was a WWII vet. He was a top turret and flew many missions. He did two tours and was shot down over Germany and was held in a prisoner concentration camp for 6months prior to liberation. He is now 88years old and is losing his eyesight. He no longer go to my husband’s football games where he coaches because he can’t see the players on the field. He uses a Braille machine to help him, can hardly see his television and we are certain he will soon not be able to drive. We are soon going to need home care for him. I am disabled and my husband works long hours and are worried that he will not have adequate care. My father-in-law does have kaiser thru Medicare.
We would appreciate help from you. Thank you!
Trying to fine the location of the V.A. hospital Southern Cal
My mother is the widow of a retired marine from wwII. She is 87 years old. She has been in the hospital for several things. She has fallen several times. She broke her hip. She fell again and laid there for 10 hours until we found her. She has been really sick. S has had several stints put in. she uses a walker. the last episode was at the hair dresser. She fainted in the chair. She drove herself. We need to see about some caregivers to help her around. SHe refuses to go to assisted living. W e just need help for a few hours to take her to the dr. and to get her medicine etc. What can we do to get help.
THank you
Susan
My father is retired Air Force and a disabled vet. He is a patient at the VA clinic in Pensacola Fl. He has multiple health issues and his condition has reached the point where my mother can no longer care for him in their home. We need help getting him into a VA assisted living center. I have contacted his health care team nurse but have not heard back and the situation is urgent. Can you explain the process reguired to get a patient that is eligible into a assisted living and how long it will take. He is a danger to himself and others as he continues to drive and the demetia is getting so bad he doesn’t know where he is.
I’m so sorry. It must be so frustrating trying to get answers. Unfortunately there is no quick solution that I am aware of. I would suggest you try two things. First, contact your local VA hospital. What state are you in? Perhaps I can help get you some contact information. You may also want to contact a website called Veteranaid.org. They are more familiar with the ins and outs of the VA healthcare system. Let me know if there is any other information you need. Thank you! I hope you get the help you need. I wish I could be of more help. Take care.
Veterans are the most respected citizens of a nation. Providing them home care, is a best way to somehow console their worries.It is really sensible.
I was in the Army during the Korean action from Apr 1/24/1953 to Mar 24/1955. At present and for several years, my hearing has deteriorated to the point where hearing tests reveal my need for hearing aid of some kind. How do I go about determining if I am eligible for any assistance?
At present I am 80 years of age (born 01/09/1933).