Veterans put their country first when they served in the armed forces. To honor that service and sacrifice, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers healthcare services to ensure veterans receive quality care, including home-based services for those who qualify.
Whether you are a veteran with complex health needs due to service-based injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an older veteran who wants to continue living at home, or a family caregiver supporting a loved one who served in the military, the VA offers services to address a range of health and social needs.
This guide helps veterans and their families understand what’s available from the VA and how to navigate its home and community-based care programs.
- Does the VA Provide In-Home Care for Veterans?
- VA Home Care Programs: What's Available to Veterans
- Eligibility & Access for VA Home Care Programs
- Support for Family Caregivers of Veterans
- How to Access Veteran Caregiver VA Services
- Supplementing VA Programs with Services from an In-Home Care Agency
- Veterans Home Care Programs FAQs
Does the VA Provide In-Home Care for Veterans?
The VA provides or pays for home-based care for eligible veterans through several different programs. Some veterans may need in-home skilled nursing care, which includes help with medications, wound care, physical therapy, or other professional medical care. Others may not need medical care, but instead need help with activities of daily living, such as getting dressed, cooking meals, or getting to appointments. Each VA program covers different services, with its own eligibility requirements and application process.
VA Home Care Programs: What's Available to Veterans
The VA offers services to veterans living at home that span daily in-home care, telehealth, adult day care, respite care, palliative care, and hospice care. If you're considering VA programs that offer in-home caregiving assistance, these are the five to know about:
- Veteran-Directed Care: Guidance and a flexible budget that lets veterans hire and manage caregivers
- Homemaker & Home Health Aide Care: Assistance with personal care and activities of daily living
- Skilled Home Health Care: Professional medical support and therapy services
- Home-Based Primary Care: Comprehensive care by an interdisciplinary team for complex health needs
- Hospice Care: Comfort care and support for veterans facing terminal illnesses
Each type of care is offered by a different program within the VA, so you'll need to determine which one or a combination best fits your situation.
Veteran-Directed Care Program
Many veterans already rely on a family member, friend, or neighbor for help with daily activities such as hygiene, meal prep, or transportation. The Veteran-Directed Care Program may help turn that friend and family caregiver support into paid care. Qualifying veterans receive a flexible budget toward hiring and managing eligible caregivers of their choice, including loved ones who may have scaled back work to provide care.
Homemaker & Home Health Aide Program
The Homemaker and Home Health Aide Program provides trained aides to assist veterans with essential personal care tasks—such as bathing, grooming, light housekeeping, or meal prep—so they can continue living safely at home. It's the VA's most widely accessed home care program, and services are tailored to individual needs and delivered under the supervision of a registered nurse. Care is funded by the VA but provided by VA-approved community care agency partners, including BrightStar Care.
Enrolled veterans with an assessed clinical need and a VA physician referral are eligible, though availability varies by location. Also, a co-pay may apply depending on income and service-connected disability status.
Skilled Home Health Care
For veterans who need medical care at home, such as after a hospital stay, injury, or acute illness, the VA Skilled Home Health Care Program can bring short-term professional medical services directly into the home. Services must be prescribed by a physician and are delivered through VA-approved community care agencies, including BrightStar Care. They can include:
- Skilled nursing, such as wound care, IV infusions, catheter care, and medication management education
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy for rehabilitation
- Support services, such as social work support and home safety evaluations
Enrolled veterans are eligible if they meet the clinical criteria for community care. Co-pays may apply depending on income and service-connected disability status.
Home-Based Primary Care
Veterans with complex or chronic health conditions who have difficulty traveling to clinics may benefit from Home-Based Primary Care. The medical care is directed by an interdisciplinary VA clinical team, which may work with professional home care agencies like BrightStar Care to coordinate comprehensive support. Caregivers from an agency can step in to provide daily personal care or nurse-led monitoring between the VA team's regular visits.
Hospice Care
The Hospice Care Program offers comfort care for veterans with a terminal illness and life expectancy of six months or less. Focused on pain management and quality of life, care plans are managed by a healthcare team and can be delivered at home by VA-approved private community hospice and home care agencies. Caregivers from agencies may provide skilled nursing, personal care support, or respite relief for families.
Eligibility & Access for VA Home Care Programs
To be eligible for these programs, veterans must be enrolled in VA healthcare. Usually, the first step is to talk to your VA primary care provider or contact a VA social work leader at your nearest VA medical center. These professionals can assess your needs and connect you with the right programs. The VA also has a veteran care decision worksheet to help narrow down what services are right for you.
Specific program eligibility varies. Veterans with disabilities or health issues connected to their service may qualify for prioritized access or different programs. In general, the factors that determine if a veteran qualifies for a VA home health program include:
- Clinical need for in-home care, as determined by a VA care team
- Residency in an area or community where the program is available
- Eligibility for VA pension (including wartime service, income limits, and qualifying care needs)
Support for Family Caregivers of Veterans
Family and friends often provide vital daily care for their veteran loved ones. But these caretakers can experience physical and mental caregiver burnout without the time and support to take care of themselves. The VA offers two main caregiver support programs along with respite care benefits to promote and protect caregivers’ health and well-being.
VA Caregiver Support Programs
The two systems are the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) and the Program for Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC).
- PGCSS: Available to any caregiver of a veteran enrolled in VA healthcare. It provides free online classes for managing stress, handling challenging situations, and improving physical and emotional health. Caregivers can also access coaching, support groups, and peer mentoring.
- PCAFC: Specifically designed for family caregivers of veterans who have a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher and require continuous in-person care. The veteran designates an eligible primary caregiver, who can receive a monthly stipend and access to health insurance, mental health counseling, travel benefits, and typically up to 30 days of respite care per year.
VA Respite Care
A separate Respite Care Program managed by the VA gives family caregivers of veterans time to themselves for rest, errands, work, or self-care. It pays for caregiving professionals to take over with short-term, experienced help.
How to Access Veteran Caregiver VA Services
To get connected to these programs or other services for caregivers, visit caregiver.va.gov or call the VA Caregiver Support Line at (855) 260-3274. If you're not sure what you might need or qualify for, the VA offers a free caregiver self-assessment that can help you determine where you may need more support.
Supplementing VA Programs with Services from an In-Home Care Agency
A professional in-home care agency can provide services that complement VA home care resources. The VA's programs may not cover everything you need, and some veterans won’t be eligible for services.
Home care partners offer many of the same services as the VA programs, including home health aides, in-home rehabilitation therapies, and skilled nursing care at home.
Eligible wartime veterans or their surviving spouses may be able to get financial assistance for private care by applying for the VA Aid and Attendance benefit. It's an increased monthly VA pension payment that can cover needs-based assistance. Applying requires meeting financial criteria and having medical documentation from a physician verifying the care requirements and detailing the support needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Veterans Home Care Programs
How much does the VA pay for a caregiver for a veteran?
The amount the VA pays varies from veteran to veteran and depends on a variety of factors, including the nature of the illness or injury, where the veteran lives, their income levels, and the services available in that community.
How long does it take for the VA to approve a caregiver?
Any caregiver to a VA-enrolled veteran can access services through the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) by calling the VA Caregiver Support line during hours of operation or by getting a referral from the veteran’s primary care provider. A CSP representative can tell you about services in your community.
They can also advise you on whether you might qualify for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). Application times vary depending on a variety of factors but can take a few weeks to much longer.
How hard is it to get approved for a VA caregiver?
The difficulty of getting a VA-approved caregiver depends on what program you're applying to and what your medical and social needs are. Most enrolled veterans can access Homemaker and Home Health Aide services with ease once assessed by a VA social worker or referred by their VA primary care provider. The application processes for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers or Aid and Attendance can take some time and effort.
If you’re having trouble with getting an application approved, or if you disagree with the decision, you can contact a veteran’s services organization or other authorized representative for assistance.
BrightStar Care® Supports Veterans at Home
Navigating the system can seem daunting, but you don’t have to go it alone. Your primary care provider, VA social workers, veteran service organizations, and home care partners like BrightStar Care can all help connect you and your loved one to services and support.
Once you know what the VA covers, our in-home caregivers and nurses can help provide the services veterans and their family caretakers need, including skilled nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, and personal care assistance with daily activities.
If you're looking for nurse-led home care services, our experienced local care team members are ready to help. Find a location near you, contact us online, or call 866-618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard®.