VA Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly pension the VA pays on top of a qualifying veteran's or survivor's basic pension when they need help with daily activities, and it can be one of the most useful ways to help pay for memory care in Delaware. If you are arranging dementia care for a parent who served, this benefit can put real money toward the monthly bill.

This guide walks through what Delaware memory care costs, how Aid and Attendance helps cover it, why a dementia diagnosis often meets the VA's care criteria, and how to apply for free with help from Delaware's state Veteran Service Officers.

In This Guide

Key Takeaways

  • In 2026, Aid and Attendance can add up to $2,424 a month for a veteran, $2,874 with one dependent, or $1,558 for a surviving spouse, paid on top of basic pension.
  • Delaware long-term care costs run well above national medians, so a benefit of this size makes a meaningful dent in a memory-care bill.
  • A dementia diagnosis often meets the VA's requirement for help with daily activities or protection from everyday hazards.
  • Memory-care costs can be deducted as unreimbursed medical expenses, lowering the countable income the VA uses and helping you qualify even if income first looks too high.
  • Delaware's state Veteran Service Officers help file these claims for free; an accredited representative never charges for claims services.

How Much Memory Care Costs in Delaware

Delaware does not issue a stand-alone memory-care license. Dementia care is delivered within the state's assisted-living and nursing-home frameworks, including secured memory-care units, under Title 16 of the Delaware Administrative Code. Because of that, there is no single "memory care" price tag published for the state; the cost depends on whether the care is provided in an assisted-living setting or a nursing home.

What we can anchor to is Delaware's long-term care pricing, which runs well above national medians across the board. Per the Genworth/CareScout 2024 Cost of Care Survey, assisted living in Delaware runs about $102,690 per year (roughly $8,558 per month), and nursing-home care is among the most expensive in the country, with a semi-private room at about $170,090 per year (roughly $14,174 per month). Memory care delivered in a secured dementia setting with specialized staffing typically pushes costs above the standard assisted-living rate, so treat the assisted-living figure as a conservative floor rather than the full price. These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, and costs vary within the state and rise as care needs grow.

Because Delaware regulates dementia care under a disclosure law in Title 6 of the Delaware Code, Chapter 25K, any facility that markets Alzheimer's or dementia care must give you a written disclosure covering its care philosophy, staffing and dementia-care training, and a complete fee schedule. Ask for that disclosure early; the fee schedule is the clearest picture you will get of what a specific setting will charge.

How Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for Memory Care

Aid and Attendance is not a separate program you apply to on its own. It is an increased amount added to a veteran's or survivor's monthly VA pension when they need help with daily activities, are bedridden, are in a nursing home due to disability, or have severely limited eyesight. That extra money can be applied directly to a memory-care bill.

Here is what the maximum monthly benefit looks like in 2026 (rates effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026):

Who is applying 2026 maximum monthly Aid and Attendance
Veteran (no dependents) $2,424
Veteran with one dependent $2,874
Surviving spouse $1,558

These are maximums. Because VA pension is needs-based, the VA pays the difference between your countable income and the applicable Maximum Annual Pension Rate, so the actual monthly check depends on your income and deductible medical expenses. Against a Delaware memory-care bill that often starts above $8,558 a month, even a partial benefit is meaningful.

Why Veterans With Dementia Often Qualify

One of the VA's pathways to Aid and Attendance is needing help with daily activities — bathing, dressing, feeding yourself, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting yourself from everyday hazards. A veteran with Alzheimer's or another dementia frequently meets this standard, because the disease commonly leaves a person unable to manage those activities safely on their own or unable to recognize hazards around them.

The VA also recognizes being a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity as a qualifying basis for the allowance. The need for assistance is documented by a doctor on VA Form 21-2680, so a clear medical record of the dementia and the help it requires is what supports the claim.

How Memory Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

This is the part that surprises many families. VA pension is keyed to countable income, and you can lower that income by deducting continuing, unreimbursed medical expenses (UMEs) — but only the portion of those expenses that exceeds 5% of the applicable Maximum Annual Pension Rate is deductible. For 2026, that annual floor is $872 for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 for a veteran with one dependent.

Memory care counts. The cost of care in an assisted-living or other residential facility, and in-home attendant services for daily activities, qualify as deductible medical expenses when the person qualifies for Aid and Attendance, or when a physician or similar provider states in writing that they need that care or must live in a protected environment due to a cognitive disorder.

Here is how that plays out. Suppose a Delaware veteran pays the state's roughly $8,558-per-month assisted-living median for a secured memory-care setting — about $102,690 a year. After subtracting the $872 annual floor, the rest of that cost is deductible from countable income, which can reduce or zero out the income the VA counts. That is why a veteran whose income first looks too high can still qualify once large, recurring care costs are deducted.

Who Qualifies

Beyond the need for care, Aid and Attendance has service, age, and financial requirements:

  • Wartime service. At least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War/post-9/11 era). Gulf War service requires 24 months of continuous active duty or the full period called to active duty.
  • Age or disability. The veteran must be age 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled.
  • Net worth. Total net worth must be under $163,699 for 2026. This limit includes assets and annual income but excludes the primary home, vehicles, and basic household items.
  • Three-year look-back. The VA reviews assets transferred for less than fair market value in the three years before filing, and a penalty period can apply to transfers that fall under the rule.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Delaware Medicaid

Many families use Aid and Attendance for a while and later turn to long-term care Medicaid, which in Delaware is administered by the Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance (DMMA) within Delaware Health and Social Services. How the VA money is treated matters at that point.

As a general rule in Delaware, basic VA pension counts as income for Medicaid, but the Aid and Attendance (and Housebound) allowance paid above the basic pension is generally not counted toward the Medicaid income limit. Delaware long-term care Medicaid also allows certain unreimbursed medical expenses — such as Medicaid-noncovered medical equipment, dentures, hearing aids, and private health insurance premiums — to be protected from the income a resident must pay toward facility care.

Income rules and limits change, and these are general rules rather than a determination for any one person. Confirm your specific situation with DMMA and a VA-accredited Veteran Service Officer before relying on it.

How to Apply and Get Free Help

There are two forms at the center of an Aid and Attendance claim. File VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) with a doctor's examination documenting the need for assistance, and — if the veteran is not already receiving VA pension — also file VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension). You can submit online at va.gov, by mail, or through an accredited representative. Processing often takes three to six months or longer, so file as soon as the medical need is documented.

You do not have to do this alone, and you should not pay anyone to file. Delaware veterans can get free help from Veteran Service Officers employed by the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs / Office of Veterans Services — State of Delaware employees who are trained and accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. An accredited Veteran Service Officer never charges for claims services. You can reach the office at DOS_OVS@delaware.gov or (302) 739-2792 to schedule an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a dementia diagnosis automatically qualify a veteran for Aid and Attendance?

Not automatically, but it often does in practice. The VA looks for a need for help with daily activities — like bathing, dressing, or protecting yourself from hazards — and dementia commonly creates that need. A doctor documents the specific need on VA Form 21-2680, which is what supports the claim.

Can Aid and Attendance be used for memory care, or only nursing homes?

It can be used for memory care. The benefit is paid as money to the veteran or survivor, and the cost of care in an assisted-living or residential facility — including a secured memory-care setting — counts as a deductible medical expense under the VA's rules.

My parent's income seems too high. Should we still apply?

Often, yes. VA pension is needs-based, and large recurring care costs like memory care can be deducted from countable income once they exceed the annual floor of $872 (or $1,141 with one dependent). Those deductions can substantially reduce or zero out the income the VA counts, so an applicant who looks ineligible on paper may still qualify.

Will Aid and Attendance affect Delaware Medicaid eligibility later?

In Delaware, as a general rule the basic VA pension counts as income for Medicaid, while the Aid and Attendance allowance above the basic pension is generally not counted toward the Medicaid income limit. Because the rules change, confirm your situation with DMMA and a VA-accredited Veteran Service Officer.

Next Steps

Start by gathering the veteran's discharge papers and a current medical record of the dementia, then ask any memory-care facility you are considering for the written dementia-care disclosure and fee schedule Delaware requires. With those in hand, contact the Delaware Office of Veterans Services to have an accredited Veteran Service Officer file the claim with you, at no cost.

Compare Care Settings in Delaware

Aid and Attendance can help pay for any care setting. See how it works for the others:

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The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.