Home Instead Senior Care will offer a free seminar to help veterans obtain pension benefits to pay for the cost of elder care for war-time veterans, their spouses and their surviving spouses at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Home Instead Senior Care Training Center at 1861 Westen St., Suite A.

“It’s called Aid & Attendance,” said Home Instead Director of Business Development Emily Harlan. “The purpose of the seminar is to let the public know that it’s there. It is underutilized.” 

Harlan, who has worked with the veterans to help retain benefits for seven years, will lead the seminar.

“A lot of our veterans tell us they would not have been able to receive care without the program,” she said. “It really has been a lifesaver for a lot of people.”

About 33 percent of all seniors in this country are eligible to receive a special pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a release from Home Instead. This little-known special pension provides up to $2,085 per month for veterans, their spouses and their surviving spouses to pay for the cost of elder care services. The release says the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs typically does not tell eligible veterans about this special pension or does little to help veterans obtain it.

“In the three and a half years we’ve been helping them, we’ve got 45 new patients who now receive veterans care services who might otherwise not have anything. People don’t know it exists,” Harlan said. “If you go directly through the VA to get the pension it’s hard to get that way; however, we work through a third party called Veterans Care Coordination and they help you get the benefit. They walk you through the process and cut through the red tape to get the pension.”

To be eligible, the veteran must have at least 90 days of active duty service with at least one day beginning or ending during a period of war. Additionally, the veteran, their spouse or their surviving spouse must have less than $80,000 in assets, excluding a home and vehicles, and must require the assistance from another person in performing the activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, undressing or taking care of other needs of that nature.

“If people know someone (who needs the services), we want them to come out and be informed,” Harlan said. “If someone doesn’t think they’ll be eligible now, they can still come and get the information for the future.”

For more information or to RSVP, call Home Instead at 270-842-7540. Space is limited. Those who cannot attend the seminar may also receive information by calling the Home Instead office.

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgdailynews.com.