Seniors and Veterans | New Rules for Housing and Care
Summerset Assisted Living Center’s CEO Mack Willis, Sr. recently sat down for an on-air radio interview with Jazz 91.9’s Kiplyn Primus for The Local Take on WCLK. Mr. Willis shared valuable information on changes affecting seniors and veterans when it comes to housing and care.
Baby Boomers and Generation Xers are living longer and that means senior care is becoming a big part of planning ahead. How and where they want to live their latter years are questions that seniors are considering more often. When it comes to veterans, the questions are even more complicated.
Mr. Willis sees this first hand as the owner of his metro-Atlanta assisted living center and decided to do something when he witnessed the distress of a resident who struggled to cover medication costs. A trip to the Veterans Affairs (VA) office educated him on little known assistance programs for seniors.
Read below to learn more about current trends in senior living and vital information on planning financially for senior care.
Aid and Attendance Program. Willis makes it a point to tell people who will listen about veterans’ benefits and rule changes. Specifically, he talks about the aid and attendance pension, which is where veterans who are seniors can get up to $1,900 a month to for aid and care. However, in September of 2018, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released new rules for non-service connected disability pensions, such as the aid and attendance pension. New VA rules, which include a Look Back Rule became effective October 18, 2018 (American Council on Aging).
The VA look back rule, also referred to as a look back period, establishes a period of 36-months (3 years) in which the VA “looks back” on all asset transfers made for less than they are worth. Veterans can’t receive the aid and attendance benefits if their assets are more than the threshold of $127,061 (American Council on Aging).
In addition to sharing new rules on VA benefits, Willis shared three tips on planning for senior care.
- Make the Right Designations: By designating a trusted relative to make legal decisions for you, Willis says you can avoid creating a legal mess. When you’re incapacitated in any way, it helps to have someone designated to speak on your behalf.
- End of Life Decisions: It’s important to have legal documents in place to determine what end of life decisions you want. Your loved ones should know if they need to follow a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) or to prolong life. Willis advises that you be very intentional and document everything.
- Have a Will in Place: Dying without a will presents a lot of problems. Determine ahead of time who gets what.
Additional Information. Willis also advises that you research eldercare attorneys because they can guide you through all possible pitfalls of aging and advise you on estate planning. And, remember that you can’t plan too soon. Listen to the full interview on The Local Take, here.
As you consider care options for your loved one, you can rest assured that Summerset’s premiere community is one where guests will enjoy an environment that makes them feel at home. Learn more about Summerset.
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Your Home Away from Home | Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Summerset Assisted Living Community is focused on providing top quality, excellent, compassionate care for those we serve. Schedule a tour today or give us a call at (470) 231-2357!