Home Care and Veterans: What You Need to Know

Veterans Day is a proud tradition in the US as we take time to recognize and honor the service to our country provided by a courageous group of men and women. Within BAYADA Home Health Care, we recognize Veterans every day as we provide services to those who have served. 

Veterans Health Administration Overview        

When arranging home health care for a loved one, be sure to consider the services available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA). VHA provides Universal Health Coverage for eligible Veterans, but the Veteran must register in the system to receive benefits. Registration is accomplished by contacting the local VA Medical Center* to schedule an appointment, then taking the Veteran’s DD-214 (discharge paperwork) and income information to the appointment.

It is important for Veterans to register with VHA because some disorders they have may be service related. For example, a Viet Nam era Veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange develops diabetes at age 50. Although he has been out of the service for decades, his diabetes may be related to exposure to Agent Orange and so would be considered service related. Diabetes care could be covered by VHA and there could be other benefits for which the Veteran is eligible. He must register to have his eligibility determined.

PACT 

VHA has rolled out a process of care called Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT)—the cornerstone of the VA initiative intended to transform the way Veterans receive care. It is: patient-driven, proactive, personalized, and team-based. Care is oriented toward wellness and disease prevention resulting in improvements in Veteran satisfaction, healthcare outcomes, and costs. 

The PACT model is further refined to address the needs of specific Veteran populations, such as geriatrics (Geri-PACT) and homeless (H-PACT). Clients enrolled in H-PACT experience roughly 31 percent fewer emergency room visits and require an average of 24 percent fewer hospitalizations. Every Veteran who is part of a PACT Team will have team contact information that can be used to address care concerns.

Primary Care at Home

Home Based Primary Care is for Veterans who need skilled services, case management, assistance with activities of daily living, and are isolated or their caregivers are experiencing heavy burdens. It can be used with other services. The Veteran may receive home visits from any member of the care team (doctor, nurse, OT, PT Home Health Aide). There will be a VA representative overseeing the client. Because of the robust VA homecare program, you may see house calls by doctors, NPs, therapists, and others. You may also see cameras used for distance observation or other technology-rich diagnostic and treatment equipment. Click here to learn more about BAYADA Primary Care at Home.

*To find the closest VA Medical Center: Start Here. This will give you ALL VA related facilities including Benefits Offices, District Offices, Cemeteries, and Medical Facilities. Request the “Nearest 25 Facilities” in order to ensure that the medical facilities will be included in the list. You may also call 1-800-827-1000 from which you will be redirected to the service you request. Here at BAYADA, we are proud to serve US Veterans. For more information on services with BAYADA, please call (888) 990-8947 or visit our website today!