Reggie never had much trouble taking care of himself. He was a quiet, reserved veteran of the United States Army. He helped his friends and family whenever he had the opportunity. After his wife passed away in his early 70s, he seemed to withdraw even more from those friends who cared about him. His adult children started worrying about him and noticed a pattern emerging: he was no longer taking adequate care of his personal hygiene.

 

Home Care for Veterans: Home Care Aide Assistance

Home Care for Veterans: Home Care Aide Assistance

 

When a veteran or surviving spouse is having difficulty with personal care, it may point to underlying causes.

Some of the problems could be physical. Reggie could have difficulty getting out of bed or didn’t feel confident with his strength, and therefore decided it would be best to avoid taking showers daily. After a time, he may have thought, “What difference does it make? Nobody sees me anyway.”

 

Some of the challenges may be emotional or mental.

Depression or dementia could driving factors in whether a person takes adequate care of their physical needs. A person who is extremely depressed, withdrawn, and lonely, especially as they are getting older and facing increased physical and health challenges, may not see the point in putting in so much effort to their personal hygiene.

 

For Reggie, it was some of that, but also a new disability.

Reggie was having difficulty with his hearing. He didn’t want to say anything and didn’t want to visit the doctor to find out he was going deaf. So he just ‘dealt with it.’

When his adult children would call to talk to him, he just muttered, said yes or no when he felt it was needed, and try to keep things short. He knew things were changing and he was frustrated. He didn’t know what could be done.

Reggie’s income and assets were minimal. He didn’t have much of a pension and was basically living off Social Security. He had no idea there was a pension for wartime veterans like him, called the Aid and Attendance Benefit that could provide financial assistance to pay for home care services.

If you or a loved one is needing assistance with Home Care for Veterans, please contact the knowledgeable and friendly staff at Veterans Care Coordination™.
Call today: 1-855-380-4400

Posted in Aid and Attendance Benefit, Care for Aging Veterans, Home Care Benefits, Home Care for Veterans, Veterans Care

About Kyle Laramie, Founder & CEO

Kyle founded Veterans Care Coordination in April 2011. As its founder and CEO of VCC, Kyle is driven by the memory of his grandfather, a World War II Veteran who unnecessarily missed out on essential VA benefits because Kyle’s family wasn’t aware of available opportunities. In recognition of his impact in leadership, Kyle was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s prestigious “40 Under 40” list and St. Louis Small Business Monthly’s “100 St. Louisans to Know” in 2014. VCC was named a St. Louis Small Business Monthly “Top 20” small business and a finalist for the St. Louis Post Dispatch Top Workplace (2015-2022), St. Louis Business Journal Best Place to Work (2019 & 2022), and the Arcus Awards (2014). The team has served more than 14,000 Veteran clients and their families. Kyle frequently speaks on Veterans’ benefits, addressing conferences such as the Home Care Association of America and Decision Health. He is passionate about giving back and has built a charitable-minded organization that supports various philanthropic efforts.