How to Care for an Elderly Disabled Veteran Parent

Caring for a parent who has become disabled as the result of military service can be difficult and costly. Compensation and benefits programs offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can make caring for a disabled veteran parent easier and less expensive. In addition to regular monthly disability compensation, the VA offers free and reduced health care to veterans with a service-connected disability, grants for housing adaptation and benefit programs that help cover the cost for in-home and assisted-living care.

Things You'll Need

• DD Form 214

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Instructions

• 1

  Go to your local Veterans Affairs office and apply for benefits. Veterans are entitled to free health care through the VA for service-connected disabilities. Treatment for conditions that are not service connected are offered at a reduced rate.

• 2

  Apply for Social Security disability. Disabled veterans may be entitled to monthly disability compensation and Medicare. Medicare can help cover the cost for the treatment of conditions that are not service related.

• 3

  Contact a local veterans service organization like the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the Disabled American Veterans Association. These organizations can assist in filing for benefits, locating assistance and grant money. Each state offers different programs to disabled veterans, and a veterans service organization will be able to help you identify and apply for them.

• 4

  Evaluate the needs of your veteran parent and determine if you can provide adequate in-home care or will need to place the veteran in an assisted-living facility. Meet with the veteran parent's doctors to determine what type of care and accommodations will be necessary for the veteran to live a comfortable and productive life.

• 5

  Apply for "Aid and Assistance" and "Housebound" benefits through the VA. These programs provide monetary relief to caregivers in an in-home environment or are applied to cover the cost of an assisted living facility.

• 6

  Apply for grants through the VA to make your home handicap accessible. There are three grant programs available through the VA -- the Specially Adapted Housing Grant, the Special Home Adaptation Grant and the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations Grant.

• 7

  Contact your local veterans home to begin the process of enrolling your veteran parent in assisted living. If the veteran qualifies for "Aid and Assistance" or "Housebound" benefits through the VA, these benefits will help cover the cost. Also, check with the state the veteran lives in to determine if there are any state programs that will help cover the cost of assisted living.