Clarence had served during the Vietnam War.
He was proud of his time of service, and though he lost a few friends in combat, and many other friends struggled once they returned stateside, he managed to get back into life relatively smoothly once his service time was over.
As an aging veteran now, he was recently diagnosed with a form of dementia. This meant memory loss was going to be a problem for him. He didn’t know what to do.
Without close family or friends still around the area, he was relegated to taking care of himself for the most part. He knew something had to change, especially as this form of dementia progressed.
He understood quite well that things were going to become much more challenging as time passed. Still, despite his concerns and worries, he didn’t know what to do or where to turn.
That’s when a veteran friend told him about Aid and Attendance.
The Aid and Attendance pension benefit is a program developed by the Veterans Administration designed to provide financial support to qualifying veterans who need home care.
For somebody like Clarence, who is on a limited income, doesn’t have many assets, and who served at least one day of their active duty service during a time when the United States was officially engaged in combat, the Aid and Attendance benefit can be a tremendous asset.
Clarence applied for Aid and Attendance benefits.
He had heard that it could take several months, if not up to nine or more just to hear back from a pending application for Aid and Attendance benefits. He also learned that a veteran who qualifies could begin receiving home care support while the application is pending because the VA does offer reimbursement for services provided while the application was under review, assuming the veteran is ultimately approved.
Clarence had a high level of confidence because of his limited income, no real savings, no real assets, his diagnosis and doctor’s recommendation, and his time of service.
Because of that, he reached out to a local home care agency and began relying on support from an in-home care aide. It made a world of difference in his daily life.
No longer did he have to worry about what the future might hold; he was able to focus on the here and now, maintaining as high a quality of life as possible because of the support of that in-home care aide who also had experience supporting other seniors with memory-related challenges.