Service Connected Disabled Veteran Benefit for Long-Term Care

03/30/2010

Thinking about long-term care placement is never easy. The move into an assisted living facility or nursing home almost always means a loss of at least some independence, and for many people the cost can seem overwhelming.

For veterans with a documented service-connected disability of 70 percent or greater, financial assistance may be available to cover the entire cost of long-term care. The key to accessing this Veterans Administration benefit is finding a VA contract nursing home or state veteran’s nursing home in your area. Some privately or corporate owned nursing homes have obtained contracts with the Veterans Administration to provide long-term skilled nursing care to these service connected disabled veterans, which is paid entirely by the VA.  State veterans nursing homes, too, are able to provide the same service.

For veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 70 percent who need long-term care specifically because of their service-connected disability, the same benefit may apply. In these instances, detailed medical records documenting the need for long-term care is directly related to the veteran’s service-connected disability is absolutely necessary prior to admission into a state veterans or VA contract nursing home.

Veterans wanting more information about VA benefits for long-term care, or finding the nearest state veterans nursing home or VA contract nursing home should contact the Veterans Service Officer for the county where they reside. Typically, this information can be located in the county government section of the phone book.

For qualifying service-connected disabled veterans, this VA benefit eliminates the financial concerns frequently associated with long-term care.