Veteran Benefits
Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care
Long-term care is the help a veteran needs when everyday tasks - bathing, dressing, cooking, managing medicine - become too much to handle alone. The VA can provide or arrange it in your own home, in the community, or in a nursing home, and there are real ways to help pay for care the VA does not run directly.
Who this is for
When a veteran can no longer manage alone, families panic about the cost of a nursing home. The truth is the VA offers care at every level - from an aide who comes to the house, to a State Veterans Home, to help paying a private facility through Aid & Attendance - and much of it is low-cost or free.
In plain language
What Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care covers
- Skilled nursing-home care in VA Community Living Centers and VA-contracted community nursing homes
- State Veterans Homes, often the most affordable option for a long stay
- Care at home: Home-Based Primary Care, homemaker/home health aide, adult day health care, respite, and hospice
- How copays work (nothing until day 22) and how Aid & Attendance helps pay for private care
VA Long-Term Care ProgramsOfficial video - U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs
5 things most veterans aren't aware of
These apply to nearly every VA claim - and they change how much you get and when.
Your filing date sets your back pay
Benefits are generally paid back to the day you file - not the day you are approved. Filing an intent to file today can protect months, even years, of retroactive pay.
One condition can trigger others (secondary claims)
A service-connected condition that causes another - like sleep apnea from PTSD, or a bad knee from a bad hip - can be rated on its own. Each secondary condition adds to your rating.
A medical nexus is what wins the claim
The VA needs a documented link between your condition and your service. A clear nexus opinion is often the difference between an approval and a denial.
Accredited help is free to file an initial claim
By law, an accredited agent cannot charge a fee to prepare and file your original claim. If someone asks for money up front to file, that is a red flag.
A denial is not the end of the road
You have three appeal lanes - Higher-Level Review, a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, and the Board of Veterans Appeals. Many denials are overturned on review.
Day 22
Long-term care copays do not begin until the 22nd day of care
$0
Hospice care carries no copay in any setting
3 levels
Care at home, in the community, or in a nursing home
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click, and nothing you have to go looking for on another website. Here is the whole story in plain language - the facts and the figures first - so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- The VA offers a full range of long-term care - from help at home to full nursing-home care - for veterans enrolled in VA health care who have a clinical need (38 CFR 17.30 et seq.).
- Settings include VA Community Living Centers (VA-run nursing homes), Community Nursing Homes (VA-contracted homes near you), and State Veterans Homes (state-run, often the most affordable long-stay option).
- Home-based options - Home-Based Primary Care, Homemaker/Home Health Aide, adult day health care, respite, and hospice - let many veterans stay in their own homes far longer.
- Any long-term care copay does not start until the 22nd day of care, is based on your income and service-connected status, and hospice care is always copay-free (38 CFR 17.111).
- Aid & Attendance (a separate pension benefit) is the money most families use to help pay for private assisted living or nursing homes the VA does not run - confirm rates on va.gov.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
The three nursing-home paths
- Community Living Centers (CLCs) are nursing homes run by the VA itself. They are often used for short-term rehab after a hospital stay, but long stays are possible when there is a clinical need.
- Community Nursing Homes are private homes that contract with the VA so you can be cared for closer to family, with the VA overseeing and helping pay for the care.
- State Veterans Homes are owned and run by the states with VA support. They frequently accept a veteran's spouse or a Gold Star parent and are usually the most affordable choice for a permanent stay - waiting lists are common, so apply early.
Staying in your own home
- Home-Based Primary Care brings a VA doctor-led team into the home for veterans with complex conditions who have trouble getting to a clinic.
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide services send a trained aide to help with bathing, dressing, and daily tasks - open to any enrolled veteran with a clinical need where services are available.
- Adult day health care, respite care, and hospice round out the options: adult day care gives structured daytime supervision, respite gives a family caregiver a break, and hospice provides comfort-focused care at the end of life.
What it costs
- Long-term care copays are based on your income and service-connected status and, importantly, do not begin until the 22nd day of care in a given period.
- Hospice care carries no copay in any setting. The VA is also required to bill private insurance (not Medicare) for non-service-connected care, which can lower what you owe.
- Veterans who are 50% or more service-connected, or who need the care for a service-connected condition, generally receive VA-provided long-term care without copays - confirm your exact status with a VA social worker.
Paying for private care with Aid & Attendance
- The VA usually will not pay the monthly bill at a private assisted-living or private nursing home it does not run.
- The Aid & Attendance pension (for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need daily help) puts tax-free monthly money in your pocket that you can apply to that private bill.
- Families often combine VA home-based services with Aid & Attendance to make staying home - or affording a good facility - possible. Ask us to walk you through both together.
Your complete benefit picture
Care at every level
from an aide who comes to the house, to a State Veterans Home, to help paying a private facility through Aid & Attendance - and much of VA-provided long-term care is low-cost or free. Confirm your copay status with a VA social worker.
Two ways to move forward — both free
Not sure if this applies to you?
Ask our free assistant a few plain questions and get an honest read on what you and your family may qualify for, at no cost. It takes just a few minutes, and there is no sign-up and no obligation of any kind. You will get a clear, plain-language picture of where you stand and what might be worth filing. And if you would rather talk to a real person, an accredited agent is only a message away.
Have a question? Get free information
Ask a question, learn what you may be owed, or find out where you stand. Confidential, free, and no obligation to go any further.
Ready to hire us? Register
Decided you want us to work your claim? Registering is free — we match you with an accredited advocate and get you started. We cannot begin until you sign VA Form 21-22a, and fees, if any, are always disclosed up front.
What families miss
The VA will not pay the private nursing-home bill - but Aid & Attendance can
The VA generally does not cover room-and-board at a private assisted-living or nursing home it does not run.
The Aid & Attendance pension puts tax-free monthly money in your pocket that you can apply to that private bill - most families should ask about both together.
Enrollment first
Long-term care runs through VA health care - being rated for disability is not the same as being enrolled.
Apply to State Homes early
State Veterans Homes are the most affordable long stay, but waiting lists are common - get on the list now.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
FIG. 01 - Gather your paperwork
First
Confirm VA health-care enrollment
Long-term care flows through the health system - make sure enrollment (VA Form 10-10EZ) is complete.
FIG. 02 - Fill out the form
Next
Ask for a VA social worker
They assess clinical need and set up home care, adult day care, respite, or nursing-home placement.
FIG. 03 - File the claim
For a facility
File VA Form 10-10EC
The Application for Extended Care Services lets the VA determine your copay for nursing-home level care.
FIG. 04 - After you file
For private care
Apply for Aid & Attendance
Use the pension benefit to help pay a private assisted-living or nursing-home bill the VA will not cover.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
MyVA411 - Main VA Line
Not sure who to call? Start here. One number for anything VA - they route you to the right office.
Rather have us handle it?
No phone tag, no hold music. Call our office and a real, VA-accredited person walks you through it - start to finish.
702-992-4883Not sure where to start?
Start with your VA social worker or primary care team - they assess your clinical need and set up services. For extended care you may complete VA Form 10-10EC (Application for Extended Care Services), which the VA uses to figure your copay. You must be enrolled in VA health care first. Call MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 if you do not have a social worker yet.
More benefits for veterans
These often go hand in hand - tap any card to learn more.
Free information — get a free benefit review
Tell us how to reach you and an accredited team member will help you understand this benefit and claim everything you have earned. No cost, no obligation.
Ready to hire us? Register with us
For veterans who’ve decided they want us on their claim — registering is free too, and it does not make you our client or obligate you to anything. Here is exactly how it works:
- You register. This simply starts the conversation — you are not our client yet, and you owe us nothing.
- You sign and return VA Form 21-22a. It appoints us as your accredited representative and gives us access to your VA file.
- Once we have your signed 21-22a and access to your case, we verify everything is in order.
It involves the registration form and signing VA Form 21-22a — by law we can’t accept your claim, work on it, or contact the VA for you until that power of attorney is signed. You decide whether to move forward.
Answers, in plain language
Common questions about Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care
What is Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care?
Long-term care is the help a veteran needs when everyday tasks - bathing, dressing, cooking, managing medicine - become too much to handle alone. The VA can provide or arrange it in your own home, in the community, or in a nursing home, and there are real ways to help pay for care the VA does not run directly.
Who qualifies for Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care?
This benefit is generally for: Veteran, Spouse, Family caregiver. Skilled nursing-home care in VA Community Living Centers and VA-contracted community nursing homes State Veterans Homes, often the most affordable option for a long stay
How much does Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care pay?
Long-term care copays are based on your income and service-connected status and, importantly, do not begin until the 22nd day of care in a given period. Hospice care carries no copay in any setting. The VA is also required to bill private insurance (not Medicare) for non-service-connected care, which can lower what you owe. Veterans who are 50% or more service-connected, or who need the care for a service-connected condition, generally receive VA-provided long-term care without copays - confirm your exact status with a VA social worker.
How do I apply for Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care?
Start with your VA social worker or primary care team - they assess your clinical need and set up services. For extended care you may complete VA Form 10-10EC (Application for Extended Care Services), which the VA uses to figure your copay. You must be enrolled in VA health care first. Call MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 if you do not have a social worker yet.
What does it cost to get help with Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Care, and are you VA-accredited?
Two things trip families up. First, being rated for disability is NOT the same as being enrolled in VA health care - long-term care runs through the health system, so make sure enrollment is done. Second, the VA generally does not pay the room-and-board bill at a private assisted-living facility; that is where the Aid & Attendance pension comes in. Ask about both at the same time. It is free to talk with us, and no one may charge you to file a first-time VA claim. The Aging Veteran is led by Albert L. Thombs Jr., a VA-accredited claims agent (accreditation #45147) and disabled veteran; any appeal work is handled on a no-fee-unless-you-win basis.
