Author: Sarah Williams
Reviewed By: Brindusa Vanta
No, the VA doesn’t have stand-alone memory care facilities. However, some Community Living Centers (CLCs) offer specialized memory care services alongside assistance with daily activities and skilled nursing care. VA-approved State Veterans Homes may also benefit those with dementia. Additionally, veterans may qualify for financial assistance to help cover community nursing home, assisted living or memory care fees, with specialized dementia care programming available in some nursing homes and assisted living communities.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates about 100 Community Living Centers across the country. Although CLC residents sometimes stay for a relatively short period before returning home or moving to a different care setting, some veterans live in CLCs for the rest of their lives. Many residents with dementia fall into this second category.
Alongside skilled nursing care and assistance with daily activities and personal care tasks in a homelike setting — which may be essential for people in the later stages of dementia —, some CLCs offer dedicated memory care services, with staff trained to meet the specific needs of people with progressive cognitive decline. Moreover, specialized memory care programs typically include cognitively stimulating activities and therapies designed to soothe residents and maintain a good quality of life.
With at least one in each U.S. state, State Veterans Homes are state-run nursing homes with VA approval and certification. The VA oversees homes, ensuring they maintain their standards. Depending on local eligibility criteria and funding, the VA may partially cover care costs in these facilities. Many homes offer memory care — shown to benefit people with dementia — as well as residential skilled nursing care, and some also run adult day care programs. Veterans with dementia who need institutional care may qualify for full or partial financial aid for community nursing homes. Conversely, seniors who need assistance with activities of daily living may qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit, a form of top-up pension for veterans with care needs. Qualifying veterans can use the benefit to pay toward memory care within assisted living communities and stand-alone facilities.
