Veteran Care
When the men and women in the United States military retire from service, they have given so much of themselves to uphold our ideals.
Some of these veterans entered service during the Korea and Vietnam Conflicts; others are recently retired from serving in dangerous posts such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Although their experiences are different, veterans who retire from the military and are seniors might need a little bit of extra help due to age, illness, or injury.
This is where in-home care for veterans becomes essential for the veteran, their family, and their community.
Why is In-Home Care for Veterans Important to Riverside County?
Riverside County has an estimated population of over two million people, with fourteen perfect who are sixty-five or older. Our community has many retirement communities spread out across the county, as well as many seniors who live at home and receive caregiving services.
Our county is also home to several military bases, including March Air Reserve Base and Naval Sea Systems Command. As a result, our community is perfect for active duty, reserves, and veterans to settle and live. In fact, approximately 122,000 Riverside Country residents are veterans.
Many of these veterans are on a fixed income, often from social security - the maximum amount of money is currently two thousand six hundred dollars. Since the cost of living is so high here in California, and social security is not adjusted for the cost of living, this puts many veterans under the poverty line. In most cases, it’s below the poverty line by both California and United States standards.
With a large veteran population, Interim Healthcare offers care services that help veteran seniors with their activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Are There Any Particular Differences in Caring for Veteran Seniors?
Veterans experience their retirement from the military differently than a senior who retires from a civilian nine to five career.
Veterans experience higher than average service-related illnesses. Hearing loss is among the number one results of serving, especially overseas in conflicted areas. Unlike civilians, veterans are exposed to toxic chemicals, herbicides, explosions, gunfire, and harsh conditions.
One of the most glaring differences between veteran seniors and their civilian counterparts is exposure to toxic chemicals and herbicides. Agent Orange is a perfect example: this herbicide was used during the Vietnam Conflict to remove vegetation. Approved at the time and presumed safe if exposed to it, veterans who came into contact with Agent Orange have suffered toxic-borne illnesses, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and much more.
Ten of the most common illnesses veterans experience are:
- Depression
- Parkinson’s disease
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Prostate cancer (From Exposure to Herbicides.)
- Respiratory cancers (From Exposure to Herbicides.)
- Musculoskeletal diseases
- ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Brucellosis (A bacterial disease Gulf War veterans suffer from.)
- Al Amyloidosis (From Exposure to Herbicides.)
In addition to service-related illnesses, there is a higher percentage of veterans who are amputees or double amputees compared to the non-veteran population. Since the beginning of World War II, there have been sixteen major conflicts that U.S soldiers have participated in that have led to injuries. The United States Army estimated that there are over 1,500 veterans alone who have lost limbs serving in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.
How is In-Home Veteran Care for Veterans Different from the VA Hospital?
Interim Healthcare Murrieta’s in-home veteran care is completely different from the VA hospital for multiple reasons.
The VA hospital is typically long-term care that is dedicated in their facility or through approved facilities. The VA hospital provides direct medical care, which is usually diagnosis, treatment, and intensive monitoring of your veteran loved one. Like a traditional hospital, your veteran loved one can receive necessary surgery, orthopedics, access a pharmacy and procure mental health evaluations and care. Frequently the VA hospital will treat the veteran for as long as necessary but is not considered a long-term option for caring for your veteran loved one.
In-home veteran care is not a hospital, nor are hospital services provided. Instead, veteran assisted living is focused on helping the senior or seniors in their own homes with daily living activities. In-home veteran care is less disruptive to a senior’s overall routine. Veteran seniors typically need help with activities that many of us take for granted, such as:
- Taking medications
- Dressing
- Shopping and preparing nutritious foods
- General person care, such as showing, going to the bathroom, etc.
What Types of Care Does Interim HealthCare Murrieta Offer for Veteran Assisted Living?
Our goal is always to help veteran seniors maintain their dignity and comfort in their own homes. We accomplish this by offering specific options, including dementia care and respite care.
Dementia Care
“Those with dementia may have a brain that works much differently than ours. But if we link our hands together, we can overcome anything.” - Teepa Snow
Veterans who suffer from dementia-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, need specialty care that doesn’t disrupt their normal routines. Since caring for a veteran senior with dementia does require special training our staff is equipped and trained through the Positive Approach to Care (PAC) program, created by Teepa Snow.
Teepa Snow is a critically acclaimed author and creator who has pioneered a specialty dementia care technique. Her approach combines neuroscience and therapeutic techniques to help seniors and their caregivers through a relationship-first approach.
Respite Care
Spouses or family members that are the primary caregiver for their veteran loved one will sometimes need a break: this is where respite care comes in. Our respite care program gives the primary caregiver leeway to take a vacation or a much-needed self-care break.
Our trained in-home professionals are able to confidently and compassionately pick up the slack and care for your veteran for hours, days, or even weeks if that’s what the primary caregiver needs.
How does Interim Healthcare Murrieta Differ from Other In-Home Care Centers?
We are directly contracted through the VA to provide assistance to veterans who want to apply for many service-related programs. Specifically, there are several programs that help pay for in-home care for veterans.
Our case managers and VA specialists help our current and future veteran clients for free because we want them to have the best care possible. With many of these programs the eligibility requirements, application process, follow-up, and reporting can become an unnecessary burden on the veteran and their family.
Two of the programs we help apply for are the Veteran Aid and Attendance as well as the Homemaker and Home Health Aide Program.
Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits
This lifetime benefit provides a monthly payment towards in-home care for veterans and their surviving spouses. Veterans who were honorably discharged from active-duty and meet the necessary requirements can receive an extra allotted amount that is added to his or her pension. This amount can help go towards the cost of in-home care.
The qualifying process is extensive and frankly, is frustrating for many veterans and families. There is quite a bit of assessments and paperwork needed for this program.
Although these requirements are not exhaustive, here is a short list of how to qualify for the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit.
- The veteran must already qualify for the basic Veterans pension.
- The veteran will have served as activity duty for at least ninety consecutive days.
- The veteran must have been honorably discharged. (Dishoroably discharged veterans will not qualify).
- All veterans must have served one full day during conflict or a time of war. (If you are a veteran and did not serve in conflict or war, it’s unlikely you will qualify.)
- The veteran will meet the financial requirement of a net worth of less than $123,600, not including personal effects or your residence. (However, if you own multiple properties, this does count as part of your network.)
- Meet one of these clinical requirements: is bedridden, has a severe visual impairment, resides in a nursing home because of physical or mental incapacity, and does require help with ADL’s.
- The veteran will have a service-connected injury or mental issue.
Homemaker and Home Health Aide Program
This program is specific to senior veterans who need a little bit of extra help. This benefit is directly for the veteran and their spouse does not qualify. This is a great program for primary caregivers who also could use help caring for their loved ones.
Unlike some other available programs, the bill for in-home assisted living is billed directly to Veterans Affairs, rather than to the veteran or veteran’s family. This helps alleviate the financial stress associated with caregiving.
The Homemaker and Home Health Aide program provides the following services from a skilled, in-home professional:
- Assistance with eating and preparing food.
- Activities like grocery shopping.
- General and specific personal grooming, including getting dressed, bathing, and using the bathroom.
- Mobility assistance, helping you move from one place to another.
The VA reports that enrolled veterans are all eligible for the Homemaker and Home Health Aide. In practice, however, the veteran must meet the standard, the clinical need for in-home assistance. How to qualify varies by location, but there are a few key features that can help you determine reliability.
This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a general overview of the requirements for the program. Please also note that if a veteran does not meet all of these criteria, they might still be eligible for the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program.
- The veteran is 75 years or older.
- The veteran lives alone or is isolated in their community.
- The veteran has had three or more hospitalizations that necessitate in-home care.
- The veteran has a cognitive impairment, such as a dementia-related disorder.
- The veteran needs help with three or more activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, or eating.
Interim Healthcare of Murrieta County is here to help your family and senior loved ones with the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit, as well as the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program. Many veterans are unaware.
We will provide a comprehensive assessment to make sure your veteran senior meets all of the criteria for both programs. We will also assist in completing the necessary application forms and follow-up.
In the event that your veteran family member or you as the veteran doesn’t qualify, we have resources available to help you find the assistance you need. In many cases, this will apply to dishonorably discharged veterans who will not qualify for either assistance program.
What Families Can Expect from Interim HealthCare Murrieta for In-Home Veteran Care?
Interim HealthCare of Murrieta County understands the unique challenges that veteran families experience.
Our goal is to provide in-home veteran care that alleviates your family’s stress through compassionate, professional care.
We are always available to offer a helping hand to walk you, your family, and your veteran loved one through any of our specialty programs.
At Interim HealthCare, we know what to look for when it comes to whether a loved one can remain safe and independent in their own home. This simple and free quiz can help guide you when making that important decision.
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