Aid & Attendance is a little known and under used VA Pension Benefit. This pension is available to veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person. The maximum benefit payable in 2009 for a veteran with one dependent is $23,396 per year paid monthly directly to the veteran. Each year in December a cost of living increase is added to the benefit amount for the next fiscal year. To qualify for this Long Term Care benefit you must need Home care, Assisted Living or Nursing Home care.
The basic criteria for the Aid and Attendance benefit include the inability to feed oneself, to dress and undress without assistance, or to bathe and take care of one's own bodily needs. A person who is bedridden or needs help adjusting prosthetic or orthopedic devices may also be eligible, as well as those who have a physical or mental injury or illness that requires regular assistance to protect them from hazards or dangers in their daily environment. This includes people with Alzheimer's and Dementia. You must pass a means test to qualify for this benefit.