A veteran in an assisted living unit does not have the same expense picture as one who lives at home with a paid helper. The monthly bill often bundles rent, meals, and personal help into one number. VA will not read that number as one thing, so split it before you build the file.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Ask for an itemized statement

Ask the community for a statement that separates the room, meals, and any personal care or service charge. Ask whether personal care is billed under its own agreement or inside the room rate. A single line that says monthly fee tells you nothing about which part pays for help with daily living.

Match the care plan to the bill

Ask for the resident's written care plan. It shows what help the community says it provides and how often. That plan is supporting evidence of what is being bought, but it does not replace the clinician's statement on the VA form.1 If the plan lists help with bathing, dressing, or moving around, check that the clinical records say the same thing.

Keep the household question open

A move can change who lives with the veteran, and that affects how the income and net worth form is filled in.2 Confirm with an accredited helper or with VA how a spouse and any other household members are counted. Write down the answer and who gave it to you.

Compare the costs side by side

Put the itemized statement, the unit agreement, and the care plan in one folder. Then compare what you are paying for with what VA's pension pages describe as countable expenses.3 Where you cannot tell, ask rather than guess. A guess on a signed form creates a problem you then have to fix.

If you are still deciding whether to move the veteran at all, read Start Here for the order to work through these questions.

Notes

1. VA Form 21-2680, Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance, VA.gov, https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-2680/

2. VA Form 21P-0969, Income and Net Worth Statement, VA.gov, https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21p-0969/

3. VA pension program overview, VA.gov, https://www.va.gov/pension/

Full source list: Sources.