Belmont Village Quarterly Newsletter
on Senior Living

Salute to Veterans Includes Important Information About VA Benefits for Personal Care

Veterans Day is November 11.  We at Belmont Village want to recognize our many resident veterans and to express our gratitude for their service to our country.  We are honored to have had the privilege of serving hundreds of America’s veterans over the past 10 years.  These remarkable individuals have enriched our lives in so many ways—from their early personal service to the continued sharing of their talents, wisdom and values.  To our veterans we offer our heartfelt thanks and our continuing commitment to serve you as you have served us, with dignity and respect.

If you are a veteran, or a family member or caregiver of a veteran, please read on to learn more about the Aid & Attendance (A&A) benefit, a special monthly pension for qualified wartime veterans or their surviving spouses who have high out-of-pocket medical costs and who require regular assistance with certain activities of daily living. 
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, this benefit has been widely under-used.  Many of those eligible either aren’t aware of it, or don’t realize that they are eligible. The VA says that many older veterans and surviving spouses whose incomes are above the congressionally mandated legal limit for a VA pension may still be eligible for the A&A benefit because of their medical expenses, including nursing home and personal care expenses, for which they do not receive reimbursement.

FAQs about the Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit:

• What is the Aid & Attendance (A&A) pension?  A special monthly benefit for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing or taking care of bodily needs. 

• What is included in the benefit coverage?  The A&A pension benefit can be used to pay for qualified personal care services provided in an assisted living or personal care community or nursing home.  Eligible veterans may receive up to $1,519 per month; surviving spouses are eligible for up to $976 per month.  Married couples with one veteran are eligible for up to $1,801 per month.

• Who is eligible?  Wartime veterans who have at least 90 days of active military service, with at least 1 day served during a period of war, and who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable may apply. For a surviving spouse of an eligible wartime veteran to qualify, the marriage must have ended due to death. Individuals must qualify both medically and financially (less than $80,000 in assets, excluding home and vehicle).

If you think that you or someone you know may be eligible to receive this benefit and you would like to know more about Belmont Village and our services, please contact one of our communities and schedule an appointment with a Community Relations Representative to discuss your needs in more detail.

For more information, please click here.

Source: The Department of Veterans Affairs, www.va.gov