Veterans Home Care now offers the latest medical alert system that allows seniors to stay connected.
Here is what to do if your aging parent needs help to live safely at home.
ST. LOUIS, MO -- November 24, 2020 -- Veterans Home Care (VHC) has issued several warning signs for children of aging parents to watch for during the holiday season. These can indicate the parent may need home care assistance to deal with the challenges of daily living.
“Family gatherings during Thanksgiving and the holiday season are a good time for children to watch their parents and see if they are having issues with their appearance, energy level and ability to remember past and current events,” said Bonnie Laiderman, CEO of Veterans Home Care, a firm that has helped more than 18,000 veterans or their surviving spouses receive access to VA benefits for at home care.
“A quick tour around the parent’s house will reveal clues your mom or dad may be struggling with personal hygiene and safety issues.”
Warning signs can include a messy home, unpaid bills and unopened mail, outdated food in the refrigerator and empty food cabinets, uncleaned bathrooms, cluttered floors creating potential safety hazards and unexplained scratches and dents on the parent’s car. Any or all can indicate the need to contact a home agency consultant.
Laiderman added that the cost for home care need not be expensive. “In fact for veterans who have served during World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam or the Gulf War, there is a little known VA benefit to help cover medical and custodial care costs.”
The VA benefit is a pension paid to veterans (or their surviving spouses) with an additional amount called “Aid and Attendance” to assist those who are disabled and need help to live safely at home. The benefit can cover medical and custodial care costs up to $1,911 per month for a single veteran and up to $2,266 for a married veteran.
Included are help with transportation, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping and personal care such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom.
Another solution for anyone regardless of military status is the latest medical alert system, a video screen smart-home system offered by VHC in partnership with SmartCompanion. VHC’s Companion series, is customized and pre-programmed for each individual. It includes a hands-free, voice-activated Echo Show device that enables anonymous phone calls or video chats with built-in security. It creates customized reminders for medications, bathing and more, and provides 24/7 entertainment with news, weather, trivia, books and more so the parent never feels lonely.
For eligibility requirements and additional information visit www.VeteransHomeCare.com or call toll free 888-314-6075 for a free consultation.
ABOUT VETERANS HOME CARE
Veterans Home Care, a woman-owned business headquartered in St. Louis, was founded in 2003 by Bonnie Laiderman to help wartime veterans and their surviving spouses who qualify, apply for a non-service related disability pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which pays for assistance with activities of daily living in their homes. VHC’s VetAssist® Program utilizes a network of more than 3,800 home care agencies to provide home care, matches them with caregivers and follows up to assure that the veteran or spouse remains in compliance with VA guidelines to continue receiving the pension. Veterans Home Care has helped more than 18,000 veterans or their surviving spouses to access VA benefits for the care they need. Veterans Home Care is not a government agency and is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Visit https://veteranshomecare.com