Can veterans use Aid and Attendance to pay for home care

Yes, a veteran can use Aid and Attendance to help pay for home care. It is an extra monthly payment added to a VA pension, according to the VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound page. You may qualify if you get a VA pension and need help with daily activities. The VA caregiver program is a separate benefit for a family member who provides the care.

Maybe your dad served, and now he needs help getting dressed and fixing meals. Before the next weekend drive, write down when your dad needs dressing help and who can help on the days you are away.

What does home care cost in Pennsylvania?

The CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 puts the Pennsylvania median for a non-medical caregiver at $34 an hour. That comes to $6,483 a month, or $77,792 a year, at 44 hours a week. The national median is $35 an hour.

You can work out your own number. Take the hours a week, multiply by the hourly rate, then multiply by about four and a third weeks. Fifteen hours a week at $34 is $510 a week, or roughly $2,200 a month.

Rates differ from agency to agency. Ask for the rate in writing before you agree to anything.

What changes the price?

Hours matter most. Ten hours spread over five days costs the same as ten hours in one day, unless the agency sets a minimum visit length. Ask about that.

Nights, weekends and holidays can cost more with some agencies. Ask how each is billed. The kind of help matters too. Companionship and meals are one thing. Lifting someone from bed or helping with bathing is another, and some agencies price them differently.

Get three quotes from three agencies. Compare the same schedule each time.

How can a veteran family pay for care in Pennsylvania?

Aid and Attendance. It adds to a VA pension. The veteran or a surviving spouse must get a pension and meet at least one requirement. One is needing help with daily activities. Another is limited eyesight: the VA criteria include vision of 5/200 or less in both eyes even with glasses or contacts, or a visual field narrowed to 5 degrees or less. You cannot get Aid and Attendance and the Housebound allowance at the same time.

You can apply online, by mail, or in person at a VA regional office. The form is VA Form 21-2680. A doctor or other examiner must fill out the exam section.

The VA caregiver program. Its full name is the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. It pays a monthly stipend to the veteran's Primary Family Caregiver, who must be 18 or older. Up to two Secondary Family Caregivers can back that person up. The VA caregiver program requires a disability rating of at least 70% and a need for personal care from another person; the rating alone does not establish eligibility. The VA caregiver program page also lists CHAMPVA health coverage for eligible caregivers who do not qualify for another health plan.

Ask the caregiver support team at your local VA how to apply for the caregiver program. For many families here, that is the VA Lebanon Healthcare System.

Does VA health care cover home care? Contact the VA Lebanon Healthcare System about caregiver support and home and community care for your parent. Ask them what home and community help the VA can arrange for your veteran. Ask the question directly.

Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare.gov says Medicare does not pay for most long-term care. Pennsylvania Medicaid does pay for some long-term services at home, but it has strict money rules. For 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services lists an individual income limit of $2,982 a month. It also lists a $2,000 resource limit with a $6,000 disregard. Gifts or transfers in the five years before applying can affect eligibility. For help paying for long-term services at home, ask about Pennsylvania Medicaid's Community HealthChoices (CHC) program, covered in PA CareKit's payment guide. Your local Area Agency on Aging can explain aging services, including nutrition support, described in PA CareKit's service options.

Before counting on more than one benefit, ask each program how other payments affect eligibility.

What should you do next?

Choose the benefit first: Aid and Attendance adds to a pension, while the VA caregiver program pays an eligible Primary Family Caregiver a stipend.

1. For the caregiver program, contact the VA Lebanon Healthcare System caregiver support team and ask about eligibility and how to apply.
2. For Aid and Attendance, follow the VA pension application instructions, including the required exam paperwork.
3. Gather the records requested for the benefit you are applying for.

Then write down the hours a week of help your parent needs. You can also read about All Home Care Services to see what non-medical help looks like.

What happens if you call Golden Hour Home Care Agency?

Judelissa Rosario founded Golden Hour and still leads the team, so you reach the owner, not a call center in another state. We are a locally owned, non-medical home care agency, licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and we are not a franchise. We provide home care in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and across nine Central Pennsylvania counties. Every plan starts with a free in-home consultation: a short call with Judelissa, nothing to prepare, nothing to sign. Call (717) 219-8542, or Schedule a Free Assessment. Messages get a reply within one business day.