If you are a Veteran or the family member of a Veteran who needs help at home, you have probably searched Google for things like VA home care, VA in-home care, VA benefits for home care, home care for veterans, or VA home health aide services.
The good news is that the VA does have programs that can help eligible Veterans receive care and support at home. The confusing part is figuring out where to start.
One of the most important things to understand is that VA home care is not one single benefit. There are different programs and eligibility requirements, and the process can be confusing if you have never used VA health care before.
For Veterans who need help with everyday activities at home, one important service to ask about is VA Homemaker/Home Health Aide care, often shortened to H/HHA.
Can Veterans Get Home Care Through the VA?
Yes, eligible Veterans can receive certain types of VA home care and in-home care through the VA health care system.
VA Homemaker/Home Health Aide services can provide assistance with everyday activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, eating, moving around the home and other personal care needs. Depending on the Veteran's assessed needs, services can also include certain household and daily living support.
The goal is to help eligible Veterans remain safely in their homes rather than automatically having to move into a nursing home or other facility. VA also recognizes that these services can provide support and respite for family caregivers.
This is different from simply receiving a monthly VA benefit. VA home health aide and homemaker services are health care services that go through the VA health care system and require an evaluation and authorization.
What If the Veteran Uses Medicare, Kaiser, Sutter or Another Doctor?
This is one of the biggest questions families have when looking into VA benefits for home care.
A Veteran does not necessarily have to stop seeing their current doctors or move all of their medical care to the VA.
For example, a Veteran might normally use Medicare and see doctors through Sutter Health, Kaiser or another private health system. That does not automatically mean they should rule out VA home care.
However, if the Veteran is not currently using VA health care, they generally need to become enrolled or otherwise eligible for VA health care and connect with the VA health care system so the VA can evaluate their needs and determine whether services can be authorized.
In other words, simply being a Veteran is not enough to automatically receive VA in-home care.
The VA needs to evaluate the Veteran's health and functional needs and determine whether the Veteran qualifies for the particular service being requested.
How Do You Get VA Home Care?
If you are wondering "How do I get VA home care?", the process generally starts with VA health care.
Step 1: Make Sure the Veteran Is Enrolled in VA Health Care
If the Veteran is not already enrolled in VA health care, the first step is to apply.
The VA allows Veterans to apply online, by phone or by mail. The VA Health Care Enrollment hotline is 877-222-8387, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Apply for VA health care through VA.gov:
https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/
This does not mean the Veteran has to abandon their existing doctors. The important step is establishing access to the VA health care system so the VA can evaluate the Veteran's needs.
Step 2: Contact the VA Health Care Team
Once the Veteran is connected with VA health care, the next step is to explain what help is needed at home.
Be specific.
Instead of simply saying, "My father needs home care," explain what he can no longer safely do on his own.
For example:
He needs help getting in and out of the shower. He needs assistance dressing.
He needs help with toileting.
He needs someone to prepare meals.
He has difficulty walking or moving safely around the house. He needs help with grooming.
He has difficulty remembering or safely completing everyday tasks.
Specific information helps the VA understand the Veteran's actual functional needs.
Ask About Homemaker/Home Health Aide Services
If the Veteran needs help with daily activities, ask the VA health care team specifically about Homemaker/Home Health Aide services.
You can also ask to speak with a VA social worker or case manager about available home and community-based services.
A good question to ask is:
"Can the VA evaluate me for Homemaker/Home Health Aide services because I need help with activities of daily living at home?"
That wording is much more useful than simply asking whether the VA "pays for a caregiver."
The VA evaluates the Veteran's clinical and functional needs and determines what services, if any, are appropriate.
Does a VA Doctor Have to Prescribe Home Care?
This is another area that causes confusion.
Families often hear that they need a VA doctor to "prescribe home care." That is not the best way to think about the process.
The Veteran needs to be connected with VA health care and have their need for services evaluated through the appropriate VA health care process. The VA health care team determines eligibility and authorization for community-based services.
The Veteran can ask their VA health care team, social worker or case manager specifically about VA Homemaker/Home Health Aide services and VA Community Care.
For community care, VA generally requires a referral and authorization before a Veteran receives non-emergency care from a community provider.
What Does a VA Home Health Aide Do?
When families search for "VA home health aide" or "VA caregiver at home," they are often trying to understand what the caregiver can actually help with.
Homemaker/Home Health Aide services can assist with activities of daily living and other needs based on the Veteran's assessed care plan.
That can include help with:
Bathing and showering
Dressing
Grooming
Toileting
Eating
Moving around the home
Certain household tasks
Grocery shopping and other approved daily living activities
The exact services and amount of care depend on the Veteran's individual assessment and authorization.
How Does VA Community Care Work?
Another important search term families will come across is VA Community Care.
VA Community Care allows eligible Veterans to receive certain health care services from approved providers in their local community when the VA cannot provide the needed care directly or another eligibility requirement is met.
Home health care and other community-based services can be provided through the community care system when approved by the Veteran's VA health care team.
This is important because a Veteran may not necessarily receive their caregiver directly from a VA facility.
The VA can authorize an approved community provider to provide the care.
Do not hire a home care agency and assume the VA will automatically pay the bill. For non-emergency community care, VA authorization generally needs to be in place before services begin.
What If the Veteran Has Never Used the VA Before?
Do not automatically assume the Veteran does not qualify for VA home care just because they have always used Medicare or private insurance.
For example, imagine an 80-year-old Veteran who has Medicare and normally sees doctors through Sutter Health. He has never regularly gone to the VA, but he has reached the point where he needs help bathing, dressing, preparing meals and safely moving around the house.
The family may think, "He doesn't use the VA, so VA home care isn't an option." That is not necessarily true.
The Veteran can look into enrolling in VA health care, connect with the VA health care system, explain his need for assistance at home and request an evaluation for Homemaker/Home Health Aide services.
If the Veteran meets the applicable eligibility and clinical requirements and the VA authorizes community care, an approved community provider can potentially provide the authorized services.
The Veteran can also continue receiving care from their existing medical providers. VA health care and private or Medicare-covered care do not automatically have to be an either-or decision.
VA Home Care vs. Aid and Attendance
It is also important not to confuse VA home care with VA Aid and Attendance.
They are not the same thing.
Aid and Attendance is a VA pension benefit that can provide an additional monthly payment to qualifying Veterans or survivors who meet the requirements.
Homemaker/Home Health Aide services, on the other hand, are health care services provided through the VA health care system based on eligibility, clinical need and authorization.
A simple way to remember the difference is:
Aid and Attendance is a financial benefit. VA Homemaker/Home Health Aide care is a health care service.
If you are researching VA Aid and Attendance, VA home care, or VA benefits for home care, it is important to understand which program you are actually applying for.
What Should You Ask the VA?
If you are ready to start the process, you do not need to know all of the VA terminology beforehand.
Start by explaining what the Veteran needs help with.
You can say:
"I am a Veteran and I need help with daily activities at home. I would like to be evaluated for Homemaker/Home Health Aide services. Can you connect me with the appropriate VA health care team, social worker or case manager?"
You can also ask about VA Community Care if care will need to be provided by a community home care provider.
The VA will determine eligibility, assess the Veteran's needs and determine what services can be authorized.
Where Should Veterans Start?
If you or a loved one is searching for home care for veterans, VA in-home care, VA home health aide services, VA benefits for home care, or how to get VA home care, start with the VA health care system.
If you are not enrolled, begin by applying for VA health care. VA Health Care Enrollment: 877-222-8387
Then talk with the VA health care team about the Veteran's specific needs and ask about Homemaker/Home Health Aide services and VA Community Care.
VA Health Care Enrollment and Application:
https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/
VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care:
https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/guide/longtermcare/homemaker_and_home_health_aide_care. asp
VA Community Care Information:
https://www.va.gov/resources/eligibility-for-community-care-outside-va/
Looking for VA Home Care in the Roseville or Sacramento Area?
At BrightStar Care of Roseville and Sacramento, we provide compassionate, reliable in-home care for Veterans and families throughout the communities we serve. Our team provides personalized home care based on each person's individual needs, including support with activities of daily living and other care needs.
If you are a Veteran or family member trying to understand your VA home care options, we can help you understand the process and determine what information is needed to get started with an in-home care assessment.
Call BrightStar Care of Roseville and Sacramento at 916-781-6500 to learn more about our in-home care services.
