VA Offers Home Care Alternative To Nursing Homes

Medical Foster Home Care - An Alternative For Veterans

LABELLE, FL. -- The Veteran's Administration is expanding it's Medical Foster Home program to include more locations. The program allows veterans to live in private homes where a trained caregiver provides 24/7 service for the veteran.

According to the VA, Medical Foster Homes are private homes in which a trained caregiver provides services to one or more individuals. Some, but not all, residents may be Veterans. 

VA inspects and approves all Medical Foster Homes which can serve as an alternative to a nursing home. It may be appropriate for Veterans who require nursing home care but prefer a non-institutional setting with fewer residents.

Medical Foster Homes have a trained caregiver on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This caregiver can help the Veteran carry out activities of daily living (e.g., bathing and getting dressed). VA ensures that the caregiver is well trained to provide VA planned care.

While living in a Medical Foster Home, veterans receive Home Based Primary Care services but veterans will have to pay for the Medical Foster Home themselves or through other insurance. The charge for a Medical Foster Home is about $1,500 to $3,000 each month based on income and the level of care needed. 

The specific cost is agreed upon ahead of time by you and Medical Foster Home caregiver.To be eligible for a Medical Foster Home veterans need to be enrolled in Home Based Primary Care, and a Home needs to be available. 

A VA social worker or case manager can help with eligibility guidelines for Home Based Primary Care and Medical Foster Home care.

In Southwest Florida, a presentation about Medical Foster Homes will be offered at the Dallas B. Townsend Center at 1085 Pratt Boulevard in LaBelle on Wednesday, December 12 at 10:30. The speaker will be Lori Berkland-Jones, Medical Foster Home Coordinator of the Department of Veterans Affairs Health System at the Bay Pines Medical Foster Home Care in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Photo courtesy Veterans Administration