Paying for care4 min read
Veterans: VA home care programs, State Veterans' Homes, and New York's benefits advisors
Beyond Aid and Attendance. The VA services that send help to the house, the program that lets a veteran hire a family member, the five New York State Veterans' Homes, and the free advisors who file the paperwork.
Written and reviewed by Cardinal Care Advisors, Buffalo, New York. Published September 27, 2026.
Paying for care
First, is the veteran enrolled in VA health care?
Most VA home and community services require the veteran to be enrolled in VA health care and to meet the clinical need for the service. If your parent served and never enrolled, that is the first call. Enrollment is free to apply for, and a New York State Veterans Benefits Advisor will help: 1-888-838-7697.
VA services that come to the house
The VA's Geriatrics and Extended Care program lists these; availability varies by location, and a VA social worker decides what fits.
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide care: an aide who helps with bathing, dressing, meals, and daily tasks. Open to all enrolled veterans who are eligible for community care and meet the clinical criteria; a copay may apply depending on service-connected status.
- Skilled home health care: short-term nursing and therapy at home for veterans who are homebound or far from a VA facility.
- Home Based Primary Care: a VA medical team that visits veterans with complex needs at home.
- Veteran-Directed Care: the veteran gets a budget and, with a counselor, hires their own workers, which can include a family member or neighbor.
- Adult Day Health Care: a daytime program with social activities and support.
- Respite care: a break for the family caregiver, at home or in a facility.
Aid and Attendance and Housebound
These add a monthly amount to a VA pension for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities, are largely confined to bed, live in a nursing home because of disability, or have very limited eyesight (Aid and Attendance), or who are mostly confined to home by a permanent disability (Housebound). A person cannot get both. The pension itself requires wartime service, no dishonorable discharge, and income and net worth under limits Congress sets. Our separate article covers the forms.
New York State Veterans' Homes
New York runs five skilled nursing homes for veterans and their spouses; the closest to Western New York is in Batavia, (585) 345-2049. Eligibility includes needing skilled nursing care, an honorable discharge, at least 30 days of active service, and entering service from New York or one year of New York residence before applying. For a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or more, the VA pays the home the full cost of care and the veteran keeps their income. Other eligible veterans and spouses pay a cost the state describes as far below a private facility. Apply to the home directly.
Free help, and who to avoid
New York's Department of Veterans' Services has Veterans Benefits Advisors, all veterans themselves, who prepare and file claims at no charge, by phone, video, or in person. County veterans service agencies do the same. Be careful with anyone who charges a fee to file a VA claim or who suggests moving money around to qualify for a pension; ask a VA-accredited representative first. Cardinal does not file VA claims.
Official sources
These open another website. We link only to government agencies and established nonprofits.
- VA: home and community based services (opens another site) · All six programs, with links to each.
- VA: Veteran-Directed Care (opens another site)
- VA: Veterans Pension eligibility (opens another site)
- VA: Aid and Attendance and Housebound (opens another site)
- New York State Veterans' Nursing Homes (opens another site) · Eligibility and the five locations.
- New York State Department of Veterans' Services (opens another site) · 1-888-838-7697 for a benefits advisor.
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General information for families in Western New York, written by Cardinal Care Advisors. Not medical or legal advice; a physician, an elder law attorney, or a licensed assessor decides the things that need deciding. Tell us if something here is wrong or out of date: hello@thecardinalgroup.org.