Introduction
The US veteran population makes up to about 19 million brave men and women who have actively served, or are serving, in the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps. Each veteran has served for different periods, during the war and in peacetime. Each of them has a unique story, having joined the military at a specific age, coming from all walks of life.
Yet, all of these veterans have one thing in common: they served our nation.
So, it only makes sense after fighting for our freedoms if we give them something back, right? As a result, the government, private citizens, and many organizations have ensured that various healthcare, medical, and other insurance facilities are available for veterans. You can avail all these as parts of assisted living benefits for veterans.
These services cover a majority of health-related problems, particularly those faced by veterans when they are older.
Are There Assisted Living Facilities Available for Senior Veterans?
We all know that there are plenty of veterans who get injured in the line of duty. These veterans may find themselves experiencing many challenges when they return home. If not immediately, some veterans even face disabilities and health problems later on in life.
According to figures from the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are roughly 19 million veterans in the United States. But they account for fewer than 10% of the adult population.
Luckily, there are plenty of assisted living options available for such veterans. There is no age restriction either. So if you’re wondering if senior veterans can get help as they grow older, then you’re at the right place.
There are many assisted living facilities for senior veterans who cannot live independently in their later years. If you, or any of your loved ones, have served in the US armed forces, there are various options available for you.
What Options Are Available for You?
Almost every private assisted living facility caters to veterans. It even has affordable insurance and payments methods set up for continued access. Better yet, the US government itself has created the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
You can obtain assisted living benefits from the VA or apply for a veterans’ home residency. Here, you can live out the rest of your days surrounded by veterans such as yourself. These options are perfect!
Whether you have a minor disability or require senior care as you grow older, plenty of assisted living and options are available for you or your loved one.
Assisted Living Communities in Burlington
What Is the Veterans Administration?
The Veterans Administration provides medical help, care, benefits, and other essential services related to health and senior living to veterans of the US armed forces and their families. It may also provide burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans and family members.
The VA consists of Aid and Assistance (A&A) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA). As a senior, depending on your condition and medical needs, you may find yourself utilizing either one or both of these departments’ services.
Are There Assisted Living Facilities Made Specifically for Veterans?
If you’re wondering if there are only veterans’ nursing homes or assisted living facilities, then you’d be correct. But, of course, there are veteran homes- hence the name- in certain cases- dedicated to taking care of only those who have served our nation.
This is because some disabilities- whether they are physical or mental- require special care. To ensure that the veteran receives the proper care, it is not wise to keep them under civilian doctors and nurses who don’t understand the psychological aspect of many disabilities.
These facilities, therefore, include doctors, nurses, and caregivers who understand the sacrifices our heroes have had to make. They are trained to ensure that their needs are taken care of properly.
What can you expect from these assisted living communities for seniors?
Veterans might reside in an apartment or rent a room in an assisted living facility. Shared living areas, such as a dining area and entertainment spaces with social and entertainment events, are popular in these communities.
Veterans can benefit from specialized caregiver assistance at an assisted living facility. The caregivers can help with the following things:
- Hygiene like bathing, toileting and dressing
- Housekeeping services like laundry and cleaning
- Preparation of meals
- Reminders to take medications
- Medical attention
What Assisted Living Benefits for Veterans Can You Enjoy from the VA?
Assisted living communities are places where veterans can reside in an apartment or a house room. There are many benefits available for veterans. The veteran administration offers a series of advantages for all its veterans.
Some of these may include an increase in pensions to pay for assisted living care. Veterans living in assisted living need some form of financial stability.
The percentage of people in the United States who have served in the military is decreasing. According to the Census Bureau, roughly 7% of adults in the United States were veterans in 2018, declining from 18% during 1980.
This decline corresponds to a reduction in soldiers deployed. The number of people on active service has decreased dramatically over the last 50 years, from 3.5 million in 1968 to around 1.4 million (or fewer than 1% of all American adults) in today’s all-volunteer force. The draft was concluded in 1973.
According to VA forecasts, the number of living veterans will decrease over the next 25 years. According to the agency, there will be roughly 12.5 million veterans by 2046, a 35 percent decline from present figures.
By that time, Gulf War veterans are expected to make up the majority of those who served, while most Vietnam War veterans will have passed away.
They must ensure that they have the necessary financial benefits to make sure they remain secure. The kind of benefits given by veteran administration are as follows:
Aid and Assistance (A&A)
Veterans and survivors are eligible for all kinds of aid and help. The veterans’ administration provides these services. They provide veterans living in assisted living with some form of allowances. These allowances are for veterans to cater to all their expenses. It is like a monthly pension or stipend, which is paid every month.
There are different kinds of allowances offered. Some are like a salary and others are only an amount expected to cover up all your expenses. They’re paid at the beginning of each month.
In some cases, they provide these on a six-month basis, with the entire allowance of six months already given to you. These benefits are to help seniors and disabled veterans pay for an assisted living facility.
How does the VA decide the total amount?
The amount is dependent on your pension rate category. First, the VA calculates the greatest annual pension rate. There is no fixed amount beforehand. Each amount varies from person to person based on the pension rate of each. The VA decides the total amount on the needs of veterans.
Those who are alone and have no one to care for them generally get higher pay than those with a family. The age of a veteran has a significant effect in determining the amount. The seniors need more money than those who are not so old.
It is mainly because of health expenses. If you have a medical illness and need constant medical assistance, then veterans will get more money. Those who are physically fit do not get such a heavy allowance. In fact, they get a substantial amount in which they have to run all their expenses smoothly.
How do you get eligible for these allowances and aid assistance?
To be qualified, you must first be a veteran. Second, you must meet the Veteran Administration requirements. It means that you are at an age where you receive a certain pension.
You must also meet certain income and active-duty requirements. Then, veterans must be 65 or older than this age. The age limit also means that physical and other restrictions that age tends to bring. Young veterans can easily earn a specific amount of money.
There is a no income-earning policy, which limits the age bracket even more. The veterans who are eligible must:
- have limited or have no income
- should have a total and permanent disability
- need assistance for a nursing home.
They should even receive social security disability insurance and receive supplemental security income.
A&A qualification requirements
To qualify further for aid, the veteran must meet at least one of these requirements:
- Require aid for another person for personal functions such as bathing, feeding, dressing, etc. Require a nurse to look after them.
- Unable to move out of bed except for prescribed physical therapy.
- Eyesight is limited to corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes.
The monthly aid installment can increase as well. It all depends on the housebound monthly pension and how much increase it requires. It depends on the veteran’s needs and how much is required to ensure that hospital bills and medical expenses are held together.
Also, you should carefully note that as of 30th November 2021, a veteran should have a net worth of $130,773 or below to qualify, as per Congress set limits.
Please be aware that this net worth includes the following:
- The annual income of the veteran, including bonus, commission, social security benefits and any other income, and
- The total value of all assets, including personal property but excluding the veteran’s home and vehicle.
Medical facilities
Some allowances are in the form of medical expenses. This includes a wide range of medical facilities such as hospitals, medical, and medical bills. The medical facilities allowance is decided by the veteran administration again.
If not a monthly stipend, it aims to cover all medical costs. Those who are eligible for this facility are as follows:
- Veterans over the age of 65
- Veterans who are suffering from any form of physical or mental illness. This includes some form of a disease.
- Veterans who do not have enough pension or financial coverage
- Senior veterans who need additional medical assistance
- Veterans who require a nurse to function daily. It includes doing daily tasks etc.
Veteran Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
With the Veteran-Directed Home and Community-Based Services program, veterans can get help paying. They can pay for the following needs:
- Case management
- Skilled services
- Aid with daily living activities, including meal preparation and bathing
The program provides veterans with a budget plan for services and the option to hire their personal care aides.
What Is the Veterans Health Association (VHA)?
The Veterans Health Administration, as you know, is one of the two parts of the Veterans Administration. It’s basically a network of health care centers across the United States with over 1,200 facilities and over 150 VA medical centers.
All of these centers dedicate themselves to ensuring that veterans are able to get immediate and emergency medical care.
What are some of the standard VHA medical benefits?
You’ll be happy to know the Veterans Administration has made it a point to ensure that the VHA standard medical benefits are as comprehensive as possible. In fact, these even include necessary inpatient and outpatient hospital services.
In general, the VHA benefits include traditional hospital-based services such as surgery and critical care as well as more specialized surgical services including:
- audiology and speech pathology
- dermatology
- dental
- geriatrics
- neurology
- oncology
- organ transplantation
- plastic surgery
- podiatry
- prosthetics
- urology
- vision care
Application Process and Resources You Should Know about
To benefit from this, you must be a veteran. You must be or above the age of 65. You must be a pensioner who is dependent on some form of financial assistance. All veterans enrolled in this program should be eligible if VA determines them to have the clinical need.
These medical services must be available for them in their area. There is an age limit of 65 years. However, veterans of all ages can still apply. For this, they must have a medical condition for which they cannot sustain themselves.
Who is eligible for this?
Those who served released under conditions other than dishonorable are eligible. Serving in the military can be a difficult task. It can offer the result of a compromise of health. That is when this package comes along.
It aims to ensure that the proper medical assistance has been given and all measures are met safely.
Veterans who have served for 24 months in a row or the entire time they were called to active duty are eligible. Veterans who were discharged for a disability sustained or aggravated in the line of duty, as well as those who were discharged due to hardship or early retirement, are also eligible.
Those who served before September 7th are eligible.
Also, reserves or National Guard members who have active duty for training purposes only are not eligible. Again, this is because they still have a job and have the financial capabilities needed to ensure that everything fits the job.
Working with Veterans Benefits
Undoubtedly, there are several benefits for veterans. It is not easy to always understand how each of these qualify and works. That is why veteran benefit planners are here to make sure that everything is on the right path.
They are here to give proper guidance and assistance to everyone who is there. Veterans’ benefits planners assist veterans and surviving spouses in assessing which benefits are available. They can offer assistance with applications, representation, and appeals.
How can veteran benefit planners be useful?
To make the process easier, veterans should consult with a veteran’s benefits advisor. This can lead to more incredible benefits than they’d be able to receive by working without a planner.
These planners are here to accommodate you with your needs and what it is you expect. The planners can make disability and pension claims less complicated as they are here to negotiate it all.
They are even here to prevent obstacles and speed up the claims process, so veterans receive benefits faster.
A knowledgeable advisor can assist veterans and their families in maximizing their eligibility. Planners may be aware of income limit exclusions such as homes, life insurance policies, and vehicles. A planner can help obtain military or medical records to support claims as well.
The services offered by veteran benefits planners depend on the type of advisor and their association with the VA.
Although some may be accredited, all veterans pension planners are not affiliated with the VA. The planners assist families in budgeting so that they can obtain the maximum benefit amount. If you want an advisor to represent you when you file a claim, accreditation is necessary.
The total costs of hiring veteran benefits planners
Except for attorneys who try to overturn refused claims, most veterans benefits planners provide their services for free. No one or organization can legally charge for assistance in preparing VA benefits applications or filing claims to the VA.
Planners employed by the VA for non-profit organizations have salaries and are not compensated directly by veterans. Attorneys and other advisors, on the other hand, can charge for claims appeals and other related services, such as real estate planning.
Attorneys and planners frequently provide free assistance in the preparation of applications. If VA refuses a claim, an attorney or planner will charge a fee to review it. This is usually calculated as a percentage of the gains, by the hour or by the project.
VA Agents at Your Service
Veterans’ assistants are also people who have served in the military before. They are retirees who now serve in the army as assistants. Their purpose is to assist the veterans who are there.
They provide medical and personal advice to veterans who are currently serving as one. The veteran assistant agents are extremely vigilant at what they do. These agents provide proper consultation and advice regarding veterans.
The VA agents even help in assessing veteran agents in deciding what loan programs to pick. They even provide aid and assistance in all capacities. Veterans’ assistant agents are the perfect guide for veterans.
FAQs
How can I obtain emergency assistance with paying my delinquent utility bills, rent, mortgage, etc.?
You can visit the State Department of Veterans Affairs website to check for stats-specific assisted living benefits for veterans through the National Resource Directory. If you’re having trouble with finding information, you can even ask your local veteran’s service organizations for help.
How do I submit a claim for disabilities from my active-duty service or re-evaluate my disability compensation claim?
You can make a claim for services by submitting your application via eBenefits or you can submit it to a VA regional office in your city.
What health benefits am I entitled to?
Depending on your health and disabilities, you may qualify for a number of assisted living benefits for veterans. Since each case is different, it depends significantly on your specific case and the benefits you will receive.
Does the VA provide life insurance?
While the VA does not provide a full-blown life insurance program, there is the Veterans’’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) option available for those looking for health assistance. If you’re applying between June 11, 2020, and December 11, 2021, you can:
- apply without needing to have to prove your health for up to 330 days
- apply with a health review for up to 1 year and 210 days.
Do I need an in-person appointment for VA benefits?
The regional offices are temporarily not open due to COVID-19. But, the offices are open for a limited time only, with screening done for visitors for COVID-19 symptoms. Everyone coming in for an appointment must cover their mouth and nose.
This article is re-shared with the permission of BoomersHub, Ashley Davis, Digital Marketing Executive at BoomersHub; email: Ashley.davis@e.boomershub.com.