Dad's VA check is not set by what care costs in his town. The aid and attendance amount is a monthly figure from VA rate tables, based on income, assets, and family status.1 That leaves the private side as the number you can actually shop, and the local market is the first thing that moves it.

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.

Why the same hours cost different money

Two providers can quote identical weekly hours and land far apart. The gap usually comes from what aides are paid in your county, how many providers compete for them, and how each provider sets its own overhead. Ask each provider which area its rate covers, not just what the rate is.

Build one comparison sheet

Before you call anyone, write down the weekly hours, the days, and the hours of the day. Ask every provider the same questions in the same order: the hourly rate for those exact hours, the area that rate covers, and whether the figure will be written into the agreement you would sign. A number given on the phone is a starting point, not something to budget against.

Subtract the pension before you judge the price

Once you have a local number, multiply it out to a monthly total. Then subtract the monthly pension amount VA would pay if the claim is approved. Use the VA page to estimate that figure, and replace the estimate with the actual award amount once one exists.2 What remains is the monthly gap the family must cover. That gap decides whether the plan is affordable, not the lowest hourly rate on your list.

What a lower rate does not change

A cheaper rate does not reduce the hours your father needs, and it does not change which tasks need hands-on help. Those are separate questions, and the price should follow the care list, not the other way around. For the order in which to read the wider process, see Start Here: The Order to Read. For St. Louis offices that can help check your numbers, see Local Help: St. Louis Offices.

Notes

  1. VA.gov, Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits, https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/
  2. VA.gov, Veterans Pension, https://www.va.gov/pension/