If you’re a veteran with health challenges or caring for one, you may be exploring options for getting support at home. Home health care for veterans is designed to help veterans remain in their home while making daily life safer and more comfortable. However, it can be confusing to determine who is eligible and what services are available. 

In this article we’ll address some of the questions you may have, including whether home health care is a VA-covered benefit, which home health care services are available and what conditions may qualify a veteran for home health care. 

If you’re a veteran exploring home health care services or caring for one, we encourage you to contact us. Our family of health care professionals will ensure you’re treated like family while providing comprehensive, compassionate care. We invite you to reach out to learn more and get care. 

Does the VA Cover Home Health Care?

The VA covers home health care for eligible veterans who are enrolled in the VA healthcare system as part of its standard medical benefits package. Coverage is based on medical needs, not age, and services are approved by your local VA healthcare team. 

As a 5-Star Partner in the We Honor Veterans Program, 3HC is vetted and approved to deliver the highest quality of veteran care under VA guidelines. You can receive hospice and home health services from our caring team through a referral from your VA healthcare professional. 

What Home Health Care Services Are Available for Veterans?

Home health care services for veterans fall into three categories: skilled home health care, homemaker and home health aide services and hospice care at home. Let’s take a closer look at what these services involve.

Skilled Home Health Care

These are medical services delivered in the home by licensed professionals and may include:

• Skilled nursing care, like medication management or wound care
• Physical, occupational or speech therapy 
• IV therapy or injections
• Home safety evaluations

Typically considered short-term services, they are often used after a hospital stay, surgery or illness to help you recuperate safely at home. 

Homemaker and Home Health Aide Services

Home health aide services focus on providing non-medical support with activities of daily living (ADLs) and may include:  

• Help with bathing, dressing and grooming
• Assistance with toileting 
• Mobility support

Home health aide services are provided by certified professionals and supervised by a registered nurse. These services are meant to support both you and your caregivers.

Homemaker services focus on household support and may include tasks such as:

• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Grocery shopping 
• Running errands
• Laundry

While 3HC does not offer the homemaker benefit specifically, our intake staff is very knowledgeable about the best providers of these services and will be happy to direct you to the right resources. We invite you to reach out to us to learn more. 

Hospice Care at Home

Hospice care at home is meant to provide comfort-focused care for those with serious, life-limiting illnesses. Hospice home care can be provided wherever you live, and may include:

• Pain management 
• Medical equipment
• Emotional and spiritual support for patient and family
• Family bereavement services

What Conditions May Qualify a Veteran for Home Health Care?

Eligibility is based on functional and medical need, not a specific diagnosis. 

Common qualifying conditions may include:

• Limited mobility or high fall risk
• Recovery after surgery or a hospital stay 
• Difficulty with activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing
• Cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia
• Chronic or progressive illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, COPD, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, ALS and others
• For hospice care, serious or terminal illness  

The VA also considers other factors, including:

• Your ability to live at home safely
• Caregiver availability and strain 
• Whether home health care services can prevent nursing home placement or hospitalization

To qualify, your condition does not always have to be connected to your military service, and you don’t always need to be completely homebound. Ask your VA social worker, case manager or care team to clarify eligibility in your situation. 

You can also request that your needs be reassessed if your health changes. 

Homemaker for Veteran

We previously mentioned the VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide program in the section on home healthcare services for veterans. Let’s take a closer look at the Homemaker program specifically.

Homemakers provide in-home support for eligible veterans to help with everyday personal care tasks that may be challenging due to illness, disability or aging. 

Homemaker care is especially helpful for:

• Veterans who live alone
• Veterans with high fall risk 
• Families experiencing caregiver burnout
• Veterans at risk of nursing home placement 
• Veterans who need assistance with personal care but don’t require skilled nursing 

Homemakers provide consistency and routine in the home, allowing veterans to preserve their independence and maintain their dignity. Services are customized based on individual needs and can be adjusted as those needs change.

To get started, an evaluation can be requested through a VA primary care provider or VA social worker. 

Though 3HC does not offer the homemaker benefit, we are happy to guide you in finding the right support for homemaker services. We encourage you to contact us for more information. 

3HC Provides Compassionate, In-Home Care for Veterans

At 3HC, we’re a proud 5-star partner of the We Honor Veterans Program, which focuses on providing veteran-centric care for veterans and their families. We take great pride in offering superior in-home support and caring for veterans as if they were members of our own family.

If you’re a veteran or a caregiver to one, we invite you to contact us to learn more about our home health care services for veterans and get care.