• Veterans in need of home care have special benefit options available to them.veterans memorial hall 2 image by Aaron Kohr from Fotolia.com
  
  Veterans who are eligible to receive a pension benefit can also apply for home care health benefits. Pensions are awarded on an as-needed basis, and they are separate from retirement and disability pay. In order for a veteran to receive aid and housebound benefits he must be on a pension. If veterans qualify for home care via their disability rating and pay they may be given an allowance from the VA for such help.
  
  

A and A Benefits

• The first home care benefit is the Aid and Attendance benefit, and it is paid in addition to a monthly pension. Those eligible for the A and A benefit are those who require the help of someone else to perform basic daily functions. These basic functions include bathing, feeding, dressing, using the restroom and protecting himself from harm. Other qualifying factors for the A and A benefit are being bedridden, confined to a nursing home due to a mental or physical condition or being blind.
  
  

Housebound benefit

• Similar to the A and A benefit, the Housebound benefit is subject to pension eligibility, and it is paid monthly in addition to pension benefits. Qualifying veterans are those with a 100 percent disability rating and confined to their homes. Also, veterans rated at 100 percent for a single disability with other conditions rated at sixty percent or higher qualify. This second candidate could have a disability rating of 160 percent because of the combined sum. A veteran cannot receive the A and A and Housebound benefits at the same time.
  
  

Benefits Report

• Veterans may apply for aid and attendance or household benefits in addition to pensions and other benefits from VA. They need to write to the office where they filed their claim, and if they are unsure of where their jurisdiction is they should contact the VA regional office near them. When asking for additional monies for health care attendants, the veteran should include copies of evidence of disability. The best type of evidence is a letter from a physician, but if this is not available letters from family and friends, receipts for care, and a detailed personal statement will help the evaluating committee. The file must provide enough detail to show a declined mental state, loss of coordination, conditions requiring help to dress or eat and sanitary issues. The veteran must state, and document, if he is confined to his home. Also, the report needs to document a typical day for the veteran, how he acquires groceries, and how he performs basic functions like cooking and cleaning.