For some veterans, including aging veterans or those dealing with PTSD, spending too much time alone can be detrimental. However, wanting to be alone is often a potential sign of depressive symptoms. Family, friends, and their veterans care at home team should not attempt to diagnose another person or even themselves with depression. There could be a long list of reasons an individual is feeling depressed or exhibiting depressive symptoms, including certain prescription medications, diet, overall health, past experiences, and more.
For some veterans, including aging veterans, spending too much time alone will not only increase the risk for depressive symptoms but may make it potentially risky if they are dealing with other physical limitations.
What can family or veterans care at home aides do to help?
First and foremost, they should encourage this loved one to visit his or her doctor as soon as possible. The way they’re feeling, the desire to disconnect from others, and so forth, may be rooted in a health issue that could be dealt with through various medications, exercise, or other therapies.
If this is an older veteran, somebody in their 70s or 80s, for example, withdrawing, becoming depressed, not exercising, and so forth can cause their health to decline at an even faster pace than it may have been before.
Veterans care at home could be an invaluable asset at this stage in their life. Even if they don’t want their adult child, grandchild, friend, or neighbor stopping by to help them or check in on them regularly, they might feel differently about a professional in-home care provider.
What about veterans who have limited resources?
There is a pension benefit made available through the VA called Aid and Attendance. This pension can provide financial assistance to pay for veterans care at home services. That means even if a veteran is living basically off of a pension and maybe Social Security, making ends meet, but having little left over at the end of each month, they could receive support from the VA to pay for an in-home care aide.
What veterans would qualify for this?
This would be wartime veterans. That does not mean the veteran needs to have served in a forward combat situation, but their time of service needs to have overlapped combat as officially defined by the United States military. These combat periods include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, and the Gulf War.
The veteran also needs a documentable reason for home care assistance. This is most commonly, accurately, and effectively provided by their primary care physician. If a doctor has recommended veterans care at home services, that will go a long way toward approval for Aid and Attendance benefits.
The veteran’s combined income and assets, not including assets that cannot be quickly converted into cash (including their primary residence) cannot exceed a specific threshold as set forth by the VA. This value can change so it’s important to check with the VA to find out what it is this year.
No one should take depression or depressive symptoms lightly. Encourage this aging veteran in your life to get to their doctor and, if they are considered a wartime veteran, talk to them about Aid and Attendance benefits.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Veterans Care at Home Services Madison County TN please get in touch with the caring staff at Senior Solutions Home Care. (731) 300-2300
Senior Solutions Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Jackson, Humboldt, Medina, Milan, Trenton, Brownsville, Madison County, and surrounding areas.
Over the years, we have expanded, providing service in all 95 counties throughout Tennessee, and we now have a growing presence in Georgia.
Senior Solutions is recognized as a top 5% independent agency and a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree in 2018, 2019, and 2020. These types of awards matter to us because they show growth in our goal of eventually touching a million lives. We’re excited to continue that growth and to touch even more families with our commitment to quality care!
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