How to Celebrate an Aid and Attendance Award for Aging Veterans
VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit
What a relief!
Mark is a veteran who served some time of his active duty service during the Korean War. In his 80s, he and his wife did their part to support themselves, but they did lean on some neighbors, friends, and family who lived in the area. When his wife passed away, Mark was devastated and it took him quite a while to overcome the loss. Now that he is 86, has been living alone for more than two years, and his own health is beginning to decline, he’s recognized the need for more support.
He knew a home care aide would be an asset.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford it. He did the math and based on his income and expenses, he didn’t have anything left over at the end of the month. And things were only getting tougher.
He talked to his doctor about home care support and she recommended he hire an aide-worker to be with him at least three days a week to ensure he was safe and didn’t have any other issues developing. He told his doctor he simply couldn’t think about that because of the cost.
She asked him about his service and when she learned he had served some time during the Korean War, she told him to look into the Aid and Attendance Benefit.
When he discovered he met the requirements, including a minimum of 90 days active duty service, with at least one of those days falling during a time of official combat, a documentable need for home care support, and his income and assets, combined, fell under the $80,000 threshold limit, he started to have hope.
He filled out the application and submitted it quickly and waited for several months. In the meantime, he began relying on a home care aide through an agency.
When the approval letter came through, it felt like a monumental moment to celebrate. He called his friends. He told his neighbors. He called his family. They were all excited that he had received this award.
Mark knew how important it would be to maintain a high quality of life with the right home care support. Now he could afford the level of care and support he needed and that was certainly something worth celebrating. Other veterans who are approved for this pension often feel the same way and celebrate their relief.
If you or a loved one are considering hiring home care for veterans, please contact the friendly staff at Veterans Care Coordination™. Call today: 1-855-380-4400
