Veterans
In-home care the VA pays for. We help you get it.
A Precious Elder is a credentialed VA Community Care Network provider. If a veteran in your family needs help at home, there is a good chance the VA will cover it entirely. Most families just do not know how to ask.
Quick answer
A Precious Elder is a credentialed VA Community Care Network provider in the South Bay. Eligible veterans receive Homemaker and Home Health Aide care at home at no cost, authorized by their VA primary care provider, and we help families through the approval process.
We have been through this process with veteran families. We will tell you what to ask your VA primary care team and what the referral looks like. Once approved, the VA pays us directly. You never see a bill for the authorized hours.
How to get VA in-home care, step by step
- 1
Ask the VA primary care provider for Homemaker and Home Health Aide services
Use those exact words. If the veteran is enrolled in VA health care, this is a phone call or a note through My HealtheVet. Mention what has changed: falls, trouble bathing, a spouse who cannot keep up.
- 2
The VA assesses need
A VA nurse or social worker may call or visit. Be specific about daily struggles. The decision is clinical, not financial.
- 3
The referral goes to Community Care
The VA sends an authorization, with weekly hours and an end date, to a provider in the network. You can ask for A Precious Elder by name.
- 4
We meet the veteran and start
We call, do the in-home assessment, match a caregiver and begin. The VA pays us directly through TriWest. You will not see a bill for authorized hours.
- 5
We track the end date
Every authorization has an end date. We keep an eye on it with you so care continues without a gap.
What VA hours can cover
- All personal care, companionship, meals and housekeeping
- Respite care for the veteran's family caregiver
- Help requesting the referral from VA primary care
- Direct billing to the VA through TriWest
- Adding private-pay hours on top of VA hours when needed
- Tracking authorization end dates so care does not lapse
Not enrolled yet?
Apply with VA Form 10-10EZ online at va.gov, or call the VA at 877-222-8387. We can assist with helping speed up your processing time. If you have not heard back after two weeks, call to check the status. We can start private-pay care right away and switch to VA hours when the authorization arrives.
VA home care questions
What is the VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide program?
It is a VA benefit that pays for a trained aide to help a veteran at home with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, companionship and supervision. The VA authorizes a set number of hours per week based on clinical need, and a community provider like A Precious Elder delivers the care. The veteran pays nothing for authorized hours.
Does my father need a service-connected disability to qualify?
No. Homemaker and Home Health Aide care is part of the VA medical benefits package. Eligibility is based on the veteran's need for help with daily activities, decided by the VA primary care team, not on a disability rating or income.
How many hours will the VA approve?
It varies with need. Common authorizations in the South Bay run from a few hours a week to several hours a day. The authorization has an end date, and we track it with you so care does not lapse.
Which VA facilities serve the South Bay?
Most of our veterans are seen through the VA Long Beach Healthcare System or the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, plus the community clinics under them. Community Care referrals in California are managed by TriWest, which is who pays us.
Can we add private hours on top of VA hours?
Yes. Many families keep the VA hours and add private-pay hours for evenings or weekends. We keep the two schedules clearly separate on your invoice so there is never confusion about what the VA covers.
What if he is not enrolled in VA health care yet?
He applies with VA Form 10-10EZ, online at va.gov, by phone at 877-222-8387 or at any VA medical center. We can assist with helping speed up your processing time. Once enrolled and assigned a primary care provider, he asks for Homemaker and Home Health Aide services. We can provide private-pay care in the meantime.
Related reading: How veterans get in-home care paid for by the VA and our respite care page, since VA respite is a separate benefit family caregivers often miss.
Free in-home assessment
One call can sort out the VA paperwork
Call (310) 571-5852 and ask about VA hours. If the veteran already has an authorization, we will tell you how soon we can start.
Call any time, 24/7. Office hours Mon to Fri 9 to 5.