Paying for long-term care can be difficult for most families. However, if your loved one who needs care served in the U.S. Armed Forces, your loved one might be eligible for benefits that might help to ease your financial stress. The surviving spouses of former military service members may also be eligible for benefits. Elder Care Direction can help you to understand the benefits that your loved one might be eligible for and how you might apply for them.
Long-term care and its financial impacts
When people grow older, it becomes more difficult for them to complete daily tasks that used to be easy. Families who are unable to provide for the care needs of their loved ones might want to find long-term care for them. However, long-term care services are expensive and are mostly uncovered by Medicare. If your loved one served in the military for at least 90 days in any branch, he or she may be eligible for benefits from the Veterans Administration to help to pay for long-term care.
The VA pension
Veterans who served on active duty for at least 90 days with a minimum of one day of service during a wartime period may be eligible for a VA pension if one of the following applies:
- Have a total and permanent disability
- Are 65 or older
- Receiving skilled nursing care in a nursing home
- Receiving SSDI or SSI
Veterans who were dishonorably discharged are not eligible, and their incomes must be below a threshold.
Aid and attendance benefit
The aid and attendance benefit provides additional money beyond a pension to veterans and surviving spouses who need help performing daily activities such as using the bathroom, dressing, and bathing or who are bedridden, blind, or in a nursing home.
The amount that your loved one might receive will depend on his or her annual income minus what he or she pays for medical care.
VA disability compensation
If your loved one has a disability that is related to his or her military service, he or she may be eligible for disability compensation. He or she must apply. The VA will then assign a rating to the disability.
Get help from Elder Care Direction
The VA benefits application process can be confusing. Getting help from the professionals at Elder Care Direction might help you to understand how to complete the process. To learn more, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
