Veterans Directed Care
One program that does not seem to be well emphasized in the VA is Veterans Direct Care. Veterans in this program receive money to hire individuals to provide personal assistance.
The following is from the VA website below:
https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Veteran-Directed_Care.asp
What is Veteran Directed Care?
Veteran Directed Care gives Veterans of all ages the opportunity to receive the Home and Community Based Services they need in a consumer-directed way.
This program is for Veterans who need personal care services and help with activities of daily living. Examples include help with bathing, dressing, or fixing meals. This program is also for Veterans who are isolated, or their caregiver is experiencing burden.
Veterans in this program are given a budget for services that is managed by the Veteran or the Veteran’s representative. With the help of a counselor, Veterans hire their own workers to meet their daily needs to help them live at home or in their community.
Am I eligible for Veteran Directed Care?
All enrolled Veterans are eligible for Veteran Directed Care IF they are eligible for community care, meet the clinical criteria for the service, and it is available. Services may vary by location.
What services can I get?
Services are based on your assessed needs. Talk with a VA social worker to find out what specific help you may be able to receive.
As a part of this program, Veterans or their representatives receive help developing a spending plan and hiring workers (which might include their own family member or neighbor) to help Veterans live independently in the community.
Examples of daily activities you may be able to receive help with include:
- Eating
- Getting dressed
- Personal grooming
- Bathing
- Using the bathroom
- Moving from one place to another
- Grocery Shopping
How do I decide if Veteran Directed Care is right for me?
You can use a Veteran Decision Aid for Care at Home or in the Community to help you figure out what home care services or long term care services may best meet your needs now or in the future.
There's also a Caregiver Self-Assessment. It can help your caregiver identify their own needs and decide how much support they can offer to you. Having this information from your caregiver, along with the involvement of your care team and social worker, will help you reach short-term and long-term care decisions.
Ask your social worker for these resources or download copies from the Making Decisions page at www.va.gov/Geriatrics.
If Veteran-Directed Care seems right for you, talk with your VA social worker and find out if it is available in your location.
I read all of this and realized I still really did not know much about the program.
I found more on another government agency’s website:
https://acl.gov/programs/veteran-directed-home-and-community-based-services/veteran-directed-home-community-based
In 2008, ACL, on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began a partnership with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to serve veterans of all ages at risk of nursing home placement through the Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) program. Until 2018, this program was known as Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services (VD-HCBS).
The Purpose of the Program and How it Works
The vision is to have a long-term service and supports (LTSS) system that is person-centered and participant-directed, and that helps people at risk of institutionalization to continue to live at home and engage in community life. The VHA will increase access to HCBS to serve the growing demand of veterans who prefer independence at home over living in a nursing facility.
The VDC program provides veterans with opportunities to self-direct their LTSS and continue living independently at home. Eligible veterans manage their own flexible budgets, decide what mix of goods and services best meet their needs, and hire and supervise their own workers. Through an options counselor, the Aging and Disability Network Agency provides facilitated assessment and care/service planning, arranges fiscal management services, and provides ongoing counseling and support to veterans, their families, and caregivers.
Find additional VDC information and resources for Aging & Disability network agencies, VA Medical Centers, and other program stakeholders.
VDC Fact Sheets:
Report by AARP, Commonwealth Fund, and SCAN Foundation on promising practices to support community living for veterans
VDC Resources and Useful Links
Current Programs
Currently, 79 VA Medical Centers (VAMC) have made at least one veteran referral to the Veteran Directed Care Program (VDC). There are 28 VAMCs who have not yet referred veterans to VDC and are denoted by an asterisk (*) below.
The Aging and Disability Network Agencies (ADNAs) listed below completed VA Readiness Reviews and have been approved as qualified providers for VDC. ADNAs that subcontract to deliver components of VDC are listed as a sub-bullet under the ADNA who holds the Veteran Care Agreement. As new Readiness Reviews are approved, new VAMCs and ADNAs will be added to the list.
For more information on availability of VDC locally and for questions regarding eligibility, please contact your local VAMC. You can find your nearest VA location.
NOTE: I am including the Texas locations below:
Texas
- Central Texas Health Care System Temple: www.centraltexas.va.gov
- Area Agency on Aging of Central Texas: http://aaact.org/
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System San Antonio: www.southtexas.va.gov
- Bexar Area Agency on Aging: http://www.aacog.com/108/Bexar-Area-Agency-on-Aging
- Houston VA Medical Center: www.houston.va.gov
- Harris County Area Agency on Aging: https://www.houstontx.gov/health/Aging/
- *VA North Texas Health Care System: https://www.va.gov/north-texas-health-care/
- REACH, Inc.: https://www.reachcils.org/
- North Central Texas Council of Governments: https://www.nctcog.org/