Long Term VA Benefits: Aid and Attendance

by Rose Broyles

Serving your country has its benefits, and thankfully, veterans are taken care of in many ways when they reach their golden years. Of the disability programs that  a retired vet can apply for, several benefits come attached to them — one of these is called Aid and Attendance.

What is Aid and Attendance?

Aid and Attendance is a benefit paid to claimants who are so helpless or so nearly helpless as to require the regular aid (help) and attendance (presence) of another person in order to avoid the dangers and hazards incident to their daily environment. This definition includes blindness under the Federal definition (corrected bilateral acuity of less than 5/200 or less than 5 degrees of concentric vision), inability to feed oneself or attend to the wants of nature (incontinence), or maintaining ones self and environment in an ordinary clear and presentable manner. (38 CFR 3.352(a))

Aid and Attendance is a monthly benefit that is attached to a disability program which is service-related or non-service related . It is not a separate program, but more of an added benefit or enhancement for those who are eligible. For Compensation and Pension purposes, the veteran claiming the benefit must be rated totally (100%) disabled due to a combination of age or infirmity. Total disability is defined as the inability to work.  This is not just available for assisted living residents, but rather any veteran who needs the extra care, and thus the extra expenses to receive that care.

Medical Conditions for Qualification

• Blind or with vision corrected at 5/200 in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field of 5° or less.
• Patient in assisted living, nursing home, etc. because of mental or physical disability
• unable to dress themselves
• frequent need to adjust orthopedic or prosthetic devices
• incontinence
• require assistance from someone else  for safety

Who is Covered?

Veterans and spouses are qualified under the following conditions:

• If the veteran is receiving additional Service Connected Disability Compensation, their spouse can qualify
• A surviving spouse or parent receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
• A surviving spouse receiving Death Pension  or Death Compensation

Qualifying Factors

The VA will look at the ADLs, or the Activities of Daily Living of the veteran as well as the disability in question. ADLs include what is mentioned above regarding daily living tasks: bathing, dressing, incontinence, etc. Based on physician’s reports: VA or non-VA facilities and the reports from the care giver the VA will then determine if this added benefit will be awarded to the claimant.

Compensation

You can look at the current compensation tables at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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