Two different things get confused here constantly. VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care is a service the VA arranges and pays for. Aid and Attendance is a monthly increase to a VA pension — money the household may spend on care, not a care benefit.
Two completely different things get called “VA benefits for home care,” and confusing them wastes months. One is a service the VA arranges and pays for. The other is a monthly cash increase to a pension that a household may choose to spend on care.
Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care — a service
The VA's own description: a trained person who can come to a veteran's home and help the veteran take care of themselves and their daily activities. Homemakers and home health aides are not nurses, but they are supervised by a registered nurse who helps assess the veteran's daily living needs. This is arranged through VA geriatrics and extended care, not through a private purchase.
Veteran-Directed Care
Gives veterans of all ages the opportunity to receive home and community based services in a consumer-directed way — meaning the veteran has a budget and chooses who provides the care, which often means paying someone they already know and trust.
Respite Care
A distinct VA benefit that pays for someone to come to the veteran's home, or for the veteran to attend a program, so the family caregiver can take a break. If you are a spouse or adult child doing the caring, this is the one to ask about by name.
Aid and Attendance — money, not a service
The VA describes Aid and Attendance as a benefit that provides monthly payments added to the amount of a monthly VA pension. It is not a care benefit and it does not arrange care. A household receiving it may spend it on caregivers. The distinction matters because this is a heavily marketed area — if someone offers to help you "qualify" for Aid and Attendance for a fee, or to restructure your assets to do so, be careful. VA-accredited help is free.
You may be eligible if you receive a VA pension and at least one of the following applies: you need another person to help you perform daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing; you are bedridden or spend significant time in bed because of illness; you are in a nursing home due to lost mental or physical abilities; or your eyesight is limited to 5/200 or less in both eyes, or your visual field is concentrically contracted to 5 degrees or less. The Housebound allowance is a separate benefit for pension recipients who spend most of their time at home because of a permanent disability — and the two cannot be combined.
Apply online, by mail with VA Form 21-2680, or in person at a VA regional office.
Where to start in Southern Nevada
VA Southern Nevada Health Care System, North Las Vegas VA Medical Center, 6900 North Pecos Road, 702-791-9000. Ask for Rehabilitation and Extended Care for the home and community based services, or for Caregiver Support, which offers training, counseling and respite. The Nevada Department of Veterans Services also has a Southern Nevada office and accredited service officers who help with claims at no charge.
Do both at once. VA processes take time. Families who apply for VA benefits and arrange private-pay care in parallel do not spend three months waiting with no help in the house. The application is not weakened by having care in place.
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Common questions
Does the VA pay for in-home care?
The VA offers Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care, Veteran-Directed Care and Respite Care as services for eligible veterans. Aid and Attendance is different — it is a monthly increase to a VA pension, which a household may spend on care, not a care benefit itself.
Is Aid and Attendance the same as VA home care?
No, and conflating them is the most common mistake here. Aid and Attendance adds money to a VA pension. Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care is a service the VA arranges and pays for.
Sources for this page
- Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2026.
- Veteran-Directed Care — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2026.
- Respite Care — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2026.
- VA Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2026.
- VA Southern Nevada Health Care System — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2026.
Reviewed by the Vegas Senior Advisor care team. Last updated November 11, 2026. Spot something wrong? Call (725) 465-8617 and we will correct it within one business day.
