At some point in their lives, most people will eventually need some form of home care—especially veterans. Our country’s heroes deserve care and assistance as they age, and they can benefit from it more than many others.
Veterans deserve home care—and more than that, they’re legally entitled to it. The VA offers veterans of every age the help of a professional caregiver who can substantially improve their lives.
In fact, in some areas of the country, the VA can connect you and your family with a veteran-owned home care agency. These agencies know how best to help a fellow service member, and they can even help your family navigate the VA home care system and get your loved one the care they need.
Veterans Can Get VA Home Care
The VA’s Homemaker and Home Health Aide (HHA) program is a truly amazing program that can transform the lives of former service members through home care. Unfortunately, very few veterans or their families even know the program exists.
And even those veterans who have heard of the program tend to be skeptical. Veterans are accustomed to getting scammed, so when they hear of a program that’s all upside for them, it sounds too good to be true.
But there’s no trick: It really is that good. We’ve seen personally how much the HHA program can improve the lives of veterans and their families. And we sincerely hope we can lead more veterans to receive the benefits they deserve.
How To Get VA Home Care
The HHA program is incredibly simple. As long as your loved one is enrolled in the VA healthcare system and you’ve requested help under the program, the VA will cover a significant amount (if not all) of their senior care.
But that’s not all: They’ll also help you find a home care agency. The VA contracts with a variety of agencies across the country for veteran care, and they can help you find one that’s a good match for your needs, or you can request a specific agency.
How Quick is VA Home Care?
The VA’s home care program is quick, and not just by government standards. It can be as little as two weeks between the time you request home care and the day their caregiver first visits.
How Likely Am I to Get VA Home Care?
Extremely likely. In 15 years, we’ve only seen the VA turn down a veteran’s home care once. And in that case, FirstLight Home Care of Greater Charlotte was able to help the family appeal the decision and get their loved one the care they need.
To this day, we’re still caring for that veteran—and as promised, the VA is still paying for it.
How Much Home Care Does the VA Offer?
While exact rates vary by location, the Charlotte VA typically starts off covering $500 worth of care each week. In most cases, that’s enough to completely cover personal care and companion care, and it can significantly offset the costs of 24/7 care and live-in as well.
Do You Have A Choice About VA Home Care?
The VA doesn’t simply assign your loved one a caregiver. Once you put in the application, they give it to a social worker who will carefully pick out an agency that’s a good fit.
In fact, you can even request a specific company, as long as they’re contracted with the VA. Just make sure you know their ID number so you can include it with the application.
Will the VA Pay for Temporary Care?
The VA can cover temporary respite care, whether it’s at home or within a facility, which can give you and your family time to take a vacation or focus on your own affairs.
Respite care is particularly helpful during the spring, when people often visit relatives for big events like weddings or graduations.
How to Get Started With VA Home Care
- Enroll in the VA Health Care System by calling 877-222-8387 or visiting the VA Outpatient Center on Tyvola. Make sure to bring your loved one’s DD214 military discharge papers. If you can’t find them, you can request new service records from the VA.
- Make an appointment with your VA doctor once they’re in the VA Health Care System.
- Request a home health aide referral to help with your loved one’s Activities of Daily Living. You’ll need to ask for this specifically—doctors are unlikely to bring it up otherwise.
- Request a preferred provider, if you have one. You’ll need their NPI number—FirstLight Home Care of Greater Charlotte’s is 1104648963.
It’s Our Honor to Serve Fellow Veterans
FirstLight Home Care of Greater Charlotte is a veteran-owned company, and we’re incredibly blessed to be able to care for our country’s heroes. We’re proud to be contracted with the VA, and there’s no greater honor, privilege or joy in our work than that which we find in taking care of fellow service members.
But even if your loved one doesn’t need home care, we’d still urge you to tell other former service members about the VA’s HHA programs. Just a word in the right ear could change a veteran’s life.
If you or your loved one is a veteran who could use help in your everyday life, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to help you and your family get the support you deserve.
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