VetAssist

At Veterans Home Care, we’re dedicated to helping veterans who have proudly served their country, or their surviving spouses, get the benefits they deserve.

• We help you determine if you qualify for the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit.
• We assist you to identify and obtain documents needed for the application.
• We help you complete and submit the application to the VA.
• We provide your home care right away.
• We furnish an interest-free loan so you can pay for your home care while the VA processes your application.
• We monitor your application’s progress, and assist with responses to VA requests for additional information until your pension is approved.
• We offer each client a VetAssist Companion 24/7 voice-activated emergency response technology with the intelligence and entertainment of Alexa®.

We surveyed our clients and their family members about their experience with our VetAssist Program*. Ninety-eight percent of respondents said they would recommend the VetAssist Program to another veteran or surviving spouse!

Even after you receive your pension, our VetAssist® Program keeps working for you

• We monitor your home care, to assure that you get the services you need, on a schedule that works for you.
• We keep track of your medical expenses and help you stay in compliance with the VA, so you retain the maximum allowable pension amount.
• We assist you to file any additional paperwork with the VA.
• We’re always a phone call away if you have questions or concerns.

Getting the Care You Need

Veterans Home Care can provide you with assistance including:

• Help with bathing
• Help with dressing
• Medication reminders
• Transportation
• Meal preparation
• Transferring to and from bed
• Personal care
• Respite care
• Light housekeeping
• Laundry
• Companionship
• Consultation – including help to access other community resources to improve your quality of life.
• VetAssist Companion – the latest voice-activated medical alert system

Eligibility
Do You Have the “3-Ms”?

• Military: Are you a veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran who served at least 90 days on active duty, at least one day during wartime with an honorable or general discharge?  (Persian Gulf War veterans must have two years of active duty or the full period of which they were called for active duty.)
• Medical: Do you have a non service-connected medical condition causing you to need assistance with activities of daily living?
• Money: Do you have a net worth at or less than $130,773? (limit established by Congress 12.1.2020) A primary residence and auto are not counted as part of net worth. Ongoing non-reimbursable medical and long-term care expenses may reduce your countable income.

Did you serve during one of the VA Defined War Periods

• World War II: Dec 7, 1941-Dec. 31, 1946
• Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950-Jan. 31, 1955
• Vietnam Era: Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975 For veterans who served Feb. 28, 1961-Aug 5, 1964, must have served “in country” (Vietnam).
• Persian Gulf War: Aug 2, 1990- date to be prescribed by Presidential proclamation or law. Must have served active duty for two years or the full period of which the veteran was called for active duty.

About the VA Pension
About the Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension benefit

In 1952 Congress passed Title 38 of the United States Code, creating what we now call the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and authorizing benefits for veterans. One of these benefits is the Non-Service Connected Pension, with “Aid & Attendance.” (Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension benefit.)

Even though the pension has been around for 60 years, very few people know about it or understand how it works. Veterans Home Care has 18 years’ experience successfully helping veteran families apply for and receive the pension. Let us help you, too.

Widows of wartime veterans, or surviving spouses of deceased wartime veterans, may be eligible for a benefit from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) known as “Survivors Pension with Aid and Attendance”. Unfortunately many women are unaware that they are eligible for this benefit.

What is the Survivors Pension with Aid and Attendance?
The Survivors Pension is a tax-free monetary benefit from the VA. If you’re a surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with wartime service, and your income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress, you may be able to get this benefit. If you need help with your daily activities, you may qualify for additional Aid and Attendance funds.

The maximum Survivors Pension with additional Aid and Attendance funds is up to $1,244 per month.

Many women are overlooked when it comes to VA Benefits
It’s unfortunate but we often overlook the fact that wartime veterans are eligible for VA benefits even though they were not injured during service. Many don’t realize that you didn’t have to serve in combat or overseas to qualify for what is called the Aid and Attendance benefit. You can imagine if veterans themselves are unaware of the Aid and Attendance benefit, how many widows of qualifying veterans are also unaware that they qualify?

We’ve actually helped more widows than veterans
Did you know since 2003, we’ve helped more than 19,000 people apply and receive the VA’s Aid and Attendance Pension? Did you know that the majority of the people that we’ve helped access the Aid and Attendance Pension were the surviving spouses of a veteran?

Simplifying VA Aid and Attendance Pension Eligibility for Widows
To check your eligibility as a surviving spouse, start with four main qualifications or “must-haves” for the VA pension with Aid and Attendance:

Do You Meet the “4-Ms” For a Surviving Spouse to Qualify?
1) Military: Was your spouse a veteran who served at least 90 days on active duty, at least one day during wartime, with an honorable or general discharge? (Persian Gulf War veterans must have two years of active duty or the full period for which they were called for active duty.)

Did your spouse serve during one of the VA Defined War Periods?

• World War II:  December 7, 1941-December 31, 1946
• Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950-January 31, 1955
• Vietnam Era: August 5, 1964-May 7, 1975. Veterans who served February 28, 1961-August 5, 1964, must have served “in country” (Vietnam).
• Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990- date to be prescribed by Presidential Proclamation or law. Persian Gulf veterans must have served active duty for two years or the full period for which they were called for active duty.

2) Medical: Do you have a medical condition causing you to need assistance with activities of daily living?

3) Money: Do you have a net worth at or under $130,773? (Your primary residence and car are exempt. Ongoing, non-reiumbursable medical and long term care expenses may reduce your net worth.)

4) Marriage: Were you married to a wartime veteran for at least one year? Were you married to the veteran at the time of his/her death? Have you remained unmarried or did your remarry after January 1, 1971 and your remarriage ended before November 11, 1990?

If you answered “yes” to all of the four must-have requirements above, you meet the basic eligibility requirements and should consider applying for Aid and Attendance from the VA.

Aid and Attendance for Long Term Care
Aid and Attendance is available for those who need the “aid and attendance” of another person for their routine daily living activities on a permanent basis. Often as women age, they need assistance with activities of daily living such as: dressing, bathing, help using the bathroom, meal preparation, laundry and more. This type of assistance is considered “custodial care” even though the need for custodial care is often caused by a medical condition such as congenital heart failure, arthritis, diabetes, etc. When custodial care is needed permanently, health insurance such as Medicare will not cover the cost. On-going custodial care is considered “long-term care.” Fortunately, the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit can help with the cost of long term care.

“Aid and Attendance” Surviving Spouse Eligibility
Surviving spouses must meet a set of requirements in order to qualify for VA pension benefits:

• You must have been married to a veteran for at least one year.
• You must have been married to a veteran at the time of his death.
• You must present your veteran spouse’s death certificate.

Remarriage does not affect your surviving spouse eligibility for “Aid and Attendance” if you meet all the following requirements:

• You were married to your veteran spouse at the time of his death.
• Your remarriage began after January 1, 1971.
• Your remarriage ended before November 11, 1990.
• Remarriage outside the specified dates will disqualify you from VA pension benefits.

You may have what it takes to be eligible for the “Aid & Attendance” benefit.

If you would like to use your VA Aid and Attendance funds primarily for home care or adult day care, call us today toll free 888-314-6075 for more details.

Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: 314-514-2444
Toll Free: 877-390-6377

Jonesboro, Arkansas
Phone: 314-514-2444
Toll Free: 877-390-6377

San Francisco, California
548 Market Street, CA 94104
Phone: 415-786-2096
Toll Free: 877-878-4248

Newark, Delaware
Phone: 888-411-8033

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Phone: 954-857-6980
Toll Free: 866-908-8387

Wood River, Illinois
Phone: 314-514-2444
Toll Free: 877-390-6377

Kansas City, Kansas
Phone: 314-514-2444
Toll Free: 877-390-6377

Las Vegas, Nevada
Phone: 888-411-8033

Cedar Knolls, New Jersey
Phone: 973-400-1395
Toll Free: 888-411-80339

Mountaintop, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Phone: 888-411-8033

Ft Worth, Texas
Phone: 817-877-1620
Toll Free: 877-221-7977