Planning for the future is not always easy. Where do you start when thinking about long-term care options? As a Veteran enrolled in VA care, you have the advantage of a structured VA support system that other people don’t necessarily have. VA has services to help Veterans of any age remain in their homes and provides Veterans with care at VA 
medical centers or in the community.
Veterans served, and now VA is there to serve them by providing long-term care options.
Think about a Korean War Veteran, your neighbor perhaps, who has Parkinson’s disease that has progressed. He and his wife find out that VA can provide health-care services for him right in their home. For instance, VA might help this Veteran get a ramp to more easily access his home and an aide to help him find his comfort level using a wheelchair when he needs it. The aide, backed by a diverse health care team supervised by a VA physician, also provides support to his wife.
Another support mechanism involves telehealth care. If the VA doctor determines the need first, VA can arrange for equipment to be placed in the Veteran’s home to help track vital signs. How is the blood pressure today? Blood sugar level? The Veteran can relay these measurements and more to a care coordinator by phone or video conference
A number of VA services exist to help Veterans of any age remain in their homes, including:
- Adult Day Health Care
- Home Based Primary Care
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care
- Hospice and Palliative Care
- Respite Care
- Skilled Home Health Care
- Telehealth Care
If a Veteran receiving care determines that he or she wants to move to a different living arrangement, VA can provide support in making these decisions and finding the setting that works best for the Veteran. VA has several options for Veterans.
Community Living Centers are VA-operated nursing homes. Unlike the care facilities in the past, you’ll find these centers resemble “home” as much as possible. Veterans may stay for a short time or, in rare instances, for the rest of their life. The goal is to restore the Veteran to his or her highest level of well-being, and to prevent declines in health – as well as provide comfort at the end of life.
State Veteran Homes are facilities that provide 
nursing home, domiciliary or adult day care. They are opened, operated and managed by state governments. These homes date back to the post-Civil War era when many states created them to provide shelter to homeless and disabled Veterans.
A Community Nursing Home is a place where Veterans can live full time and receive skilled nursing care any time of day or night. VA contracts with community nursing homes to care for Veterans. This program is offered in many communities so your loved ones can receive care near their homes and families.
Or consider the medical foster home, a private home where a trained caregiver provides services to a few individuals. Some, but not all, are Veterans. You would receive home based primary care services while living in a medical foster home inspected and approved by VA. This option may be appropriate for Veterans who require nursing home care but prefer a home-like setting with fewer people.
As a Veteran, you can count on VA to help you plan for your future and your care. For more information about extended care, visit our website and look at the VA Guide to Long Term Care for answers to your questions, and to explore your financial eligibility for the benefits.
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It’s good to know that there are programs available to veterans who served long before the VA became what it is today. I’m glad to see that the word is getting out there and hope to see more of these vets taking advantage of these programs to improve their own circumstances. It’s definitely for the better, and if anyone has earned such benefits, it’s those who served before.
VA Affairs:
I wanted to discuss my desire to help with providing homes for wounded vets that need long term care housing options. Please contact me, either through my website, or by email. I am looking to provide quality long term housing for those that have so greatly served us. I want the men and women to know they are cherished and appreciated, not just have them be warehoused. I am talking about quality architectural design and residential setting, low occupancy, rural setting close the Ann Arbor VA facility for treatment visits, land to move around when they improve, a community within our beautiful local rural communities here.
I have also sent several correspondence (Twitter) to Ken Fisher at The Fisher House Foundation. I have contacted the Ann Arbor VA Hospital assistant director, and Jim Dempsey regarding the designing and construction of a Fisher House to serve the families of service men and women in for restorative surgeries and therapy at the Ann Arbor VA. As I have previously said, I volunteer to do so without profit, simple overhead and salary. I have held conversations with various firms RE items needed for construction and furnishing, all the way down through quality whole foods for the families during their visits. I have worked on many VA Hospital projects through my years with M.A. Mortenson Co., and understand the level of involvement needed to undertake what I am discussing. the reception from Vendors, trades firms, artists for pieces, food suppliers, ultra high end restaurants, everyone contacted, has been overwhelmingly positive. Help me serve those that have served, by giving me direction and meeting with me, so I don’t step on any toes, or veer in a wrong direction.
Thank you for allowing me to serve those that are so worthy of being served.
Sincerely,
Stephen P. Williams
My father, who is a vet. forwarded this to me and I felt it very informative. He is at that stage where we are looking at his options for care over the next year or two. It’s hard to face at times, but necessary. This really gives him and his family what we need to know. Thanks.
I hope this will help me out when I get in my 70’s if I live that long?
What about veterans who reside overseas, e.g., Europe?
John,
As long as you were discharged under other-than-dishonorable conditions, you should be eligible for some benefits. This page http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/apply/veterans.asp gives you more information about eligibility and in the bottom right corner tells you how to apply. If you are looking for benefits now, you might want to pursue the application process to see what you are eligible for.
You can also call the health care benefits line at 1-877-222-8387 for more information.
Although I only use VA for prescriptions at the present time, it is good to know that they are there for you when needed. Let those who need the care receive it now, cause I know I will possibly need it at a later date. I am 82 and still going strong.
Excellent! So glad to hear it’s working for you and that you’re doing well.
My query is if a vet can obtain long term care through the Vet program if he was in WWII and Korean Wars and was honorably discharged upon completing his terms. He as not a career vet.
Do the Long Term Care Options to Veterans apply to veterans who are not career vets?
My husband is a vet from WWII and the Korean War. He had Honorable Discharges upon completing his years for both wars.
Hi Jackie,
I believe that he does qualify but your best bet is to apply to determine what he’s eligible for. This page has more information about eligibility http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/apply/veterans.asp and talks about how to apply at the bottom right hand corner of the page.
Please take a moment to look at that information and if you need any more assistance feel free to contact us or a benefits counselor.
This program is harder to handle than the non existant advse. Name:Joshua S Sparrow, d of Korean Con vliuct and evey day is anotgher delay or fight with the VA. Ten yeas at war with the VA and still no conlc;usiuon aftyer all appeals in my favor, We would love help and advise.