Finding Veteran Home Care Through Your Local VA Hospital
There are more than 20 million American veterans living today. Many of our nation’s veterans are senior-aged, and many more are living with difficulties that make it tough to live independently. For these individuals, veteran home care assistance and support can be invaluable — but it’s not always affordable when paid out of pocket. Veteran Home Care Options
If you’re a veteran in need of a helping hand around the home, you should consider contacting your local VA hospital. Veterans Affairs will cover a range of medical and non-medical home services, including veteran home care. Veteran Home Care Options
Veteran Home Care Services Offered Through VA
Veterans Affairs provides coverage for in-home assistance across four different service levels. These services are Skilled Home Health Care Services (SHHC), Homemaker and Home Health Aide Services (H/HHA), the VA Family Caregivers Program, and Home Telehealth.
Which service(s) you or your loved one are eligible for will be determined by your specific care needs. Here’s a broad overview of how these services work and who is eligible for each service.
- Skilled Home Health Care Services (SHHC). The SHHC program is most often used by veterans who live at a distance from their nearest VA hospital. This service connects veterans with skilled, locally-based caregivers in the veteran’s community. These caregivers are contracted to provide care by the VA hospital. Depending on the veteran’s care needs, services may be medical or non-medical in nature.
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide Services (H/HHA). The H/HHA program is VA’s direct care program for those living within the service area of the local VA hospital. A homeowner or home health aide visits the veteran in the comfort of his or her home to provide regular in-home assistance. This can help delay the need for nursing home care or can offer respite for family caregivers.
- Family Caregiver Program. In addition to veteran home care from professional care providers, Veterans Affairs also offers support for family caregivers caring for post-9/11 veterans. Under the family caregiver program, persons who provide care for a veteran family member after a medical discharge are eligible for a stipend and a range of support services.
- Home Telehealth. Home Telehealth is an alternative to in-person veteran home care. Under this program, special equipment is installed in the veteran’s home to track and report on the veteran’s health status. This information is then sent to a care coordinator, who can respond in case of a health event.
Other Sources of Veteran Home Care
While VA-supported veteran home care is an excellent service, it cannot meet the care needs of all veterans. You may find that you are ineligible for the care program you or your loved one desires. In other cases, you may find that you require more frequent care than your local VA hospital is able to provide.
In these cases, you can reach out to local home care agencies. A high-quality professional home care agency will be able to help you coordinate care for your loved one on a schedule that fits their life. Many agencies are used to providing care based around a client’s budget, and can provide you with care options that match your loved one’s needs.
Our company, Visiting Angels, includes hundreds of home care agencies across the United States. If you’re interested in learning more about our veteran home care services, use our office locator to find your local agency.