If you or a loved one is considering the benefits of senior living to support your highest quality of life, you may be researching the costs of financing this new lifestyle to help pay for senior living.
When exploring funding alternatives available, families are often unfamiliar with all of the options that can contribute and make senior living more affordable.
One such possibility, if you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran, is to tap into VA benefits for senior living to help pay expenses.
The VA benefit for senior living: Aid and Attendance
This benefit provides monthly payments that are in addition to the basic pension a Veteran or a survivor may receive. For Veterans to qualify, or their surviving spouses, one or more of the following requirements must be met to be considered eligible:
1. Help is required to perform the activities of daily living, such as with bathing, eating or dressing.
2. A disability requires the person to remain mostly in bed.
3. The person is living in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity.
4. Corrected visual acuity is 5/200 or less in both eyes.
5. Concentric contraction of the visual field is 5 degrees or less.
Financial restrictions for eligibility
In order to qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit, the individual must not exceed the current limit set for net worth. Exclusions from consideration include the person’s car, personal effects and the primary residence.
Applicants should understand that there is a three-year lookback period to determine qualifications. If it is found that during that time period that assets were gifted or sold below market value in order to reduce a person’s net worth, benefits can be denied or delayed.
Download our complimentary information, A Family Guide to Funding Senior Care & Housing.
Basic pension qualification
Applicants will also need to establish whether they are eligible for the basic pension. However, the Aid and Attendance benefit is based on a higher income limit so individuals who were not declared eligible for the basic pension may qualify for this benefit.
The following requirements must be met:
1. The individual was not dishonorably discharged.
2. The individual must have served on active duty before September 8, 1980 for at least 90 days with at least one day during wartime, or served on active duty after September 7, 1980 for 24 months with at least one day during wartime.
3. At least one of the following criteria must be met: be age 65 or older, have a permanent disability, live in a nursing home due to a disability or receive Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income.
Surviving spouse qualifications
A surviving spouse may be eligible for a VA Survivors Pension if the following criteria are met:
1. You haven’t remarried after the Veteran’s death.
2. Your yearly family income and net worth meets the limit set, excluding your house, car, personal effects and minus any debt that you owe.
3. The Veteran didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge.
4. The Veteran’s service meets the above requirements or was an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981 and hadn’t previously served on active duty for at least 24 months.
Additional resources
You might want to visit the following websites that provide additional information on Veterans or survivors’ pensions and benefits:
Aid and Attendance benefits: https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/
Veterans pension: https://www.va.gov/pension/veterans-pension-rates/
Survivors pension: http://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/current_rates_survivor_pen.asp
If you need assistance in submitting your application or supporting evidence, the VA provides several tools to assist in electronic submission. To learn more about how to submit documents and claims electronically, visit https://www.va.gov/disability/upload-supporting-evidence/
You can also go directly to access.va.gov to digitally upload any correspondence using Direct Upload.
By visiting https://www.va.gov/you can check your claim status and learn about other VA benefits.
If you need assistance, you can find a local, accredited representative at https://www.benefits.va.gov/vso/
You can also bring your application to a VA regional office near you. Locate one at Find VA Locations | Veterans Affairs
Retirement living in Wadsworth, Illinois
Galloway Senior Living, locally owned and operated, provides luxury and quality care for families in our community.
Assisted Living at Galloway Senior Living offers beautiful and contemporary private residences that range from alcove studios to two-bedrooms and include high-end stainless-steel appliances, maple hardwood cabinets, cultured marble countertops and thoughtfully curated décor and colors.
Our Memory Care community offers a family kitchen, dining room, walking garden, and lounge.
Our services include:
- 24-hour certified nursing assistants, on-staff licensed nurses, medication management, and on-site physician visits
- COVID-19 safety protocols
- Assistance with daily tasks
- Readily available safe transportation
- A fall-reduction program
- In-unit emergency response systems including an electronic monitoring system for exit doors
- On-site entertainment and activities personalized to reflect the residents’ preferences
- Housekeeping and linen services including personal laundry
Amenities you’ll find at Galloway Senior Living include:
- Country Café and Convenience Store
- Salon and Spa
- Theater with 85” television
- Activity and Craft Center
- Game Room
- Library and Business Center
- Fitness Center
If you or your family is considering retirement living in Wadsworth, Illinois, we hope you will visit our community at Galloway Senior Living. We are a trusted resource and are here to answer any questions.
We also invite you to download our complimentary information, A Family Guide to Funding Senior Care & Housing.
