July 12, 2016
New Online Resource is Vets’ Guide to Long Term Care Option
The VA is working to meet the needs of an aging Veteran population by providing information for Veterans and caregivers about long term care services and settings. Discover aids for making long term care decisions now and in the future. Access this information online in the Guide to Long Term Care, which provides descriptions of Home and Community based services as well as Nursing Homes and Residential Setting options.
(Read more: Planning for Veterans)
Veterans can maintain their independence by utilizing home and community based services. Some Veterans will be eligible to receive more than one service at a time.
Home and community based services include:
- Adult Day Health Care
- Home Based Primary Care
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care
- Hospice and Palliative Care
- The Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
- Respite Care
- Skilled Home Health Care
- Telehealth and Veteran-Directed Care.
(Read more: New Policy Allows More VA Staff to Focus on Eliminating Claims Backlog)
Nursing home and residential settings include: Adult Family Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Community Living Centers (used to be called VA Nursing Homes), Community Nursing Homes, Medical Foster Homes and State Veterans Homes.
The full spectrum of long term care options are included in the site.
Five Basic Questions
(Read more: Six Ways to Help Caregiving for an Aging Parent From Afar)
For each service or setting five basic questions are answered to help inform Veterans and caregivers:
- What is it?
- Am I eligible for it?
- What service can I get?
- How do I decide if this service is right for me?
- What do other Veterans and caregivers say about it?
The site includes the full spectrum of long term care options and lists services that VA pays for and some that are new and emerging or that VA does not pay for. Eligibility is based on clinical need and service or setting availability. The guide also includes very useful decisions aids like the Shared Decision Making Worksheet, Caregiver Self-Assessment, and Four personal stories.
Read more: http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20130108a.asp