You Don't Need to Pay All Your Assisted Living Costs Anymore

VA Benefits for Assisted Living

Assisted living is for adults who need help with everyday tasks. They may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, or using the bathroom, but they don't need full-time nursing care. Assisted living is growing rapidly, both because it offers an attractive option to senior citizens seeking assistance while maintaining independence, and because of the costs associated with traditional long-term-care institutions.

The great thing about an assisted living facility is that they are designed to maximize the resident's independence and dignity. Assisted Living is a residential option which stresses privacy, dignity, autonomy, and individuality. These residences vary in size and style ranging from small apartments to larger family style units.

Assisted living is the fastest growing type of senior housing, holding out the promise of giving people the opportunity to get care and help with daily living in a home-like environment. It represents a move away from the institutionalized care setting often found in nursing homes, toward an environment that allows for greater freedom and independence and a higher quality of life.

Assisted Living facilities can be expensive. The average cost is over $100 per day. There is, however, a well-kept secret source of VA financial assistance that many seniors know little about. This VA financial assistance is a pension that is available from the Veterans Administration. It is called the non-service connected disability pension benefit with aid and attendance entitlement.

The VA Pension is also called the "Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit":

• It is available to all veterans who served a minimum of 90 days of active duty service with at least one day during a period of war. There is no requirement that the veteran saw action or served overseas.
  


• There is no need to have a service-connected disability to receive this VA pension.
  


• There is also pension money available to the widows of these veterans.
  


• This benefit, under certain circumstances, can provide up to $1,843 a month in additional income to help the veteran pay for assisted living costs. The Pension is also available to low income veteran households without an aid and attendance rating, but it is a lesser dollar amount.

Unlike the common definition of pensions, Veterans do not have to be retired from military service for this pension benefit. To learn if you are eligible to receive VA benefits for Assisted Living visit Veterans Care Advisors dot com. Some of the other criteria for eligibility include having qualifying time of service and being discharged under honorable conditions to meet the basic requirements. The actual amount of pension benefits the veteran can be paid under this program are based on "countable" income and the need for assistance with at least one basic activity of daily living.