Paying for an independent living retirement home can sometimes seem like a challenge. If you’re an elderly, retired US Veteran, you may be entitled to thousands of dollars in government benefits that you didn’t even know you had.
At Ivy Knoll, we make it a priority to support and care for elderly veterans. That includes identifying and providing application assistance for known and unknown senior benefits.
In today’s post, we’ll explain the VA benefits offered at Ivy Knoll Independent Living Community.
VA-Friendly Atmosphere
More than half of Ivy Knoll’s residents are veterans. We foster an environment and living space that is centered around respect, fun, and a strong sense of community.
We do this by cultivating a positive atmosphere through family-centered activities and events. Our independent living facility hosts weekly activities, programs, and events that elderly veterans can enjoy with friends, family, or other community members.
We celebrate all manner of special celebrations on Veteran’s Day or holidays.
Ivy Knoll Offers FREE Veteran Legal Assistance
When it comes to general VA assistance for assisted living, our facility has an experienced legal professional to help fight for VA benefits cases. She helps to gather evidence, conduct research, and deliver the required paperwork to get VA benefits that many did not know existed.
Most VA financial assistance applications are convoluted and lengthy. It might take months, if not years to complete. It’s thanks to her, that our veteran residents can receive their VA benefits in three months or less!
Having a licensed attorney who specializes in VA legal matters complete the paperwork on your behalf with ZERO cost to you is just one of the many benefits that Ivy Knoll gives to veterans.
Application Assistance for Senior Vets
A&A Aid and Attendance or Housebound Alliance is a pension that a veteran can get to help support their living expenses.
Pension payouts can be up to $2,050.00 a month, depending on qualifications.
Many senior living centers DO NOT offer help with Aid & Assistance, especially to vets who may be experiencing homelessness or financial duress.
In order to apply for your benefits, you have to be A.) currently living in a retirement community or B.) have a permanent address. You need to have a little bit of savings built up to stay in a senior home while the paperwork is being processed.
Aid & Attendance (A&A) Benefit Qualifications Explained
To qualify for Aid & Attendance allowance, you’ll need to meet one of the following conditions:
- You require aid to perform daily personal tasks, like bathing, eating, dressing, and protecting yourself from daily fall hazards.
- You’re in bed and your disability requires that you remain bedridden.
- You’re a patient in a nursing home due to a mental or physical ailment
- Your eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 or less in both eyes, or the concentration of the visual field is 5 degrees or less.
Survivors Pension
This benefit is also known as the Death Pension and provides a tax-free benefit to low-income, un-remarried surviving spouses (or unmarried children). The pension amount is based on your yearly family income and cannot exceed the amount set by Congress.
For Children of a deceased war veteran to be eligible for this pension they must be:
- Under the age of 18
- Under the age of 23
- Permanently incapacitated or unable to self-support due to disability before age 18
General Eligibility for Senior Veteran Benefits
In order to apply for most benefits, veterans must have had a minimum of 90 days in service, with at least one day during wartime. If you were on active duty after September 7, 1980, you must have served, at minimum, 24 months or the full period (with some exceptions).
The standard for meeting the service requirements are as follows:
- 50 years or older
- Receiving supplemental security income
- Receiving social security disability insurance
- Nursing home patients getting skilled nursing care (or residing in an independent living facility)
- Permanently or completely disabled
We Help Elderly Veterans Who Lack the Means
For some elderly veterans, the largest hurdle to getting benefits is having enough money to get by at the beginning.
At Ivy Knoll, we help veterans experiencing difficulties, navigate their application and approval process as quickly as possible.
Better yet, it’s a free service, coming at no out-of-pocket cost to you or your family.
If you’re a veteran, we’ll pre-qualify you based on social security, even if you cannot afford to live here yet. We’re able to do this because the VA will pay back a large portion of the amount owed.
We Help You Find Unknown Senior Veteran Benefits
Showing a passion for veteran’s issues, our out-of-office attorney goes the extra mile for vets, taking the time to look through specialty cases, like disability increases that can mean increased pay benefits from the Federal government.
Here’s a quick success story:
One of our senior vets was eligible for over $24,000 in aid in 2021 and didn’t know it. He was able to get that lump sum after finishing his application with the help of our attorney.
Specialized Medical Help for Veterans
Senior veterans don’t just benefit on the legal front, they get specialized medical care and attention as well. Once a month, a VA doctor visits our senior home and conducts checkups, diagnoses illnesses, and prescribes helpful medications to residents.
Medical specialists from the Florence Office come to Ivy Knoll to assist elderly veterans with their health. Nurse practitioners come in once a week to offer additional assistance.
Join Ivy Knoll’s Independent Living Facility in Northern Kentucky
Senior veterans can see to benefit and thrive by becoming a part of Ivy Knoll. Pick and choose activities you want to enjoy seven days a week. Or, choose to stay in and relax in one of our spacious, modern, and comfortable apartments.
Contact us for more information and to schedule a personal tour of our independent living center today.