At Comforts of Home, veterans have a special place in our hearts. No person who is in need of elder care services should go without, but we need to make sure that we especially take care of those who have served our country. Unfortunately, many veterans do not receive the care they need simply because they are unaware of the assistance that is available to them through Veterans Affairs. According to the VA, as much as 36% of veterans either don’t know about the benefit or don’t know that they qualify.
Many families have struggled with the declining health of the veteran in their lives. Without a doubt, it is a financial and emotional stressor, but many have been relieved because of this little-known program.
Veterans Pension Benefit
If you qualify for the Veterans Pension benefit, you can receive an additional monetary payment to cover the costs of an elder care service such as Comforts of Home. This additional benefit is called the Aid & Attendance and homebound allowance. Its name is in reference to what is required to receive it; you must require the aid and attendance of another to perform basic personal functions or be housebound. Veterans Affairs describes it this way:
- You require the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting yourself from the hazards of your daily environment
- You are bedridden, in that your disability or disabilities requires that you remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment
- You are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity
- Your eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less
How to Apply
You can apply for the Aid & Attendance benefit by writing to the pension management center that serves your state. For Texas, you would write to the St. Paul VA Regional Office at St. Paul, MN 55111. To make sure that you file your application accurately, you can get help at the Montgomery County Veterans Service Office. Here is their contact information:
2247 N. First Street, Suite 219
Conroe, TX 77301
936-539-7842
Be sure to bring any evidence that would validate the need for the Aid & Attendance benefit such as a physician’s report.
At Comforts of Home, we strive to make sure that our veterans get the care that they deserve. Contact us at 936-483-9074 for any question about the Aid & Attendance benefit or the services that we provide.
