Veterans have earned benefits that can make a meaningful difference later in life – but they don’t always know what’s available or how to access it.
Understanding what’s available can help veterans and their families make confident decisions about the future. From financial assistance to in-home support, these resources can help make senior care services more accessible for veterans and their spouses.
In this guide, we’ll review a variety of programs that can make care more accessible – whether you’re receiving that care at home or in a community setting.
Homemaker and Home Health Aide (H/HHA) Care
The Homemaker and Home Health Aide program provides care rather than cash assistance by sending a trained aide into a veteran’s home to help with daily tasks like bathing, getting dressed, light housekeeping and meal preparation. The program is designed to help veterans who need consistent help with daily activities maintain independence at home or in an independent living community.
Eligible veterans must be enrolled in VA health care and meet the clinical criteria for the program, which is based on care needs rather than income. The VA works with contracted home care agencies, and a copay may apply depending on the veteran’s service-connected disability status.
This program tends to be a good fit for veterans who want to live independently while managing chronic conditions or recovering from an illness or injury.
Veteran-Directed Care (VDC)
Veteran-Directed Care gives veterans a flexible monthly budget to hire their own caregivers, including, in many cases, family members or neighbors, rather than working with a VA-assigned agency.
Unlike VA pension-based benefits, VDC has no income or asset limits. Once eligibility is determined – based on enrollment in VA health care and clinical need – a counselor helps develop a spending plan based on the veteran’s needs. VDC can be a strong option for veterans who want more control over who provides their care and how their budget is spent.
Because both H/HHA and VDC are designed for veterans living at home or in independent living communities, it’s important to ask any community you’re considering how they coordinate with outside home care providers, since policies can vary.
Veteran-Directed Care can offer a more personalized approach to receiving care at home. Those seeking the benefits of assisted living beyond care – such as social connection, daily events and home maintenance – may be able to access two other VA benefits to help make that move more affordable.
VA disability compensation
VA disability compensation is a tax-free monthly payment for veterans with a service-connected disability, which is an injury or illness caused or made worse by military service. Unlike need-based programs, there’s no income or asset limit, and the money can be used for any purpose, including senior living costs.
Payments are based on a disability rating from 0% to 100%. Veterans with certain disabilities or higher care needs may qualify for an added benefit called Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), which can significantly increase their monthly payment.
This benefit is well-suited to veterans with a documented service-connected condition, particularly those with a higher disability rating, since payments increase substantially at higher rating levels.
Aid and Attendance (A&A)
The Aid and Attendance benefit is an add-on to the VA pension for wartime veterans and qualifying spouses. It provides tax-free monthly income (up to $2,874 in 2026 for a married veteran) that can be used toward anything, including home care, assisted living, memory care or nursing home costs.
To qualify, a veteran (or their spouse) must meet wartime service requirements, have a net worth under the VA’s annual limit and need help with daily activities or have another qualifying health condition. The application is long and detailed, often more than 30 pages.
A&A can be especially valuable for veterans and spouses who are weighing a move to assisted living or memory care with significant care needs and limited assets.
Understanding your options
As you consider which benefits work best for your situation, it’s important to note that veterans generally can’t receive both disability compensation and VA pension-based A&A at the same time. If eligible for both, VA pays whichever amount is higher, not the two combined.
Also consider that H/HHA and VDC are built for home and possibly independent living settings. They don’t currently pay for personal care provided by an assisted living or memory care community.
Once you understand the VA benefits available to you, it’s worth talking directly with the senior living communities you’re considering. Many communities offer their own resources for veterans, including discounts or move-in incentives for those who served. Asking up front about veteran-specific programs can uncover additional savings beyond VA benefits alone.
Still have questions?
Navigating VA benefits can be complicated, and every veteran’s situation is different.
For general program information, VA.gov is a good starting point. For personalized help with understanding and applying for programs like A&A, ElderLife Financial Services offers guidance to help veterans and their families make the most of the benefits they’ve earned.
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