VA benefits for senior care in Delaware cover home-based medical care, nursing home stays, and a pension with Aid and Attendance worth up to $2,424 a month for a veteran who needs daily help. If your loved one served, the challenge usually isn't eligibility. It is knowing what to ask for.

This guide covers every VA program that helps pay for or provide senior care, how to access them in Delaware, and what happens when VA care isn't enough on its own.

In This Guide

What VA Long-Term Care Programs Are Available in Delaware?

The VA offers multiple long-term care programs. Access isn't automatic once a veteran is enrolled: VA also has to conclude the veteran needs that specific service for their ongoing treatment and personal care, and the service, or a space in the care setting, has to be available near them. The VA may also consider other factors, like the veteran's service-connected disability status or insurance coverage.

Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)

A VA physician supervises a health care team that visits the veteran at home. HBPC is designed for veterans with complex medical needs who have difficulty getting to a clinic regularly. The team typically includes a doctor, nurse, social worker, and may include rehabilitation therapists and a dietitian.

This isn't the same as the home health care Medicare pays for. The Medicare home health benefit is short-term and skilled: a nurse or therapist visits for a few weeks after a hospital stay or a new diagnosis, then the coverage ends. HBPC is the opposite. It provides ongoing, coordinated primary care at home for as long as the veteran needs it, with a VA doctor directing the whole team. For a veteran who struggles to get to a clinic, it can replace most routine office visits. For veterans who qualify, it's one of the best programs the VA offers.

Adult Day Health Care

Veterans attend a structured daytime program that provides social activities, companionship, recreation, care, and support. It also gives family caregivers reliable daytime respite. Programs may be at VA facilities or contracted community adult day centers.

Community Living Centers (VA Nursing Homes)

Community Living Centers are VA nursing centers designed to feel like home, providing nursing-home-level care. A short stay in a CLC is also one of the ways the VA delivers Nursing Home Respite Care.

Ask your VA medical center's social work department which CLCs serve your area, what each one offers, and whether a bed is available.

Community Nursing Home Program

The VA contracts with community (non-VA) nursing homes so veterans can get nursing home care near home. Whether VA benefits help pay for nursing home care depends on the veteran's income and the level of their service-connected disability, and on the extended care copay rules: there is no copay for geriatric or extended care for the first 21 days of care in a 12-month period, and starting on the 22nd day the VA bases the copay on the level of care being received and the financial information the veteran provides on the Application for Extended Care Services (VA Form 10-10EC). Some veterans do not have to pay copays at all: they are exempt because of their disability rating, income level, or special eligibility factors. Confirm the copay that will apply before assuming the cost is covered.

Respite Care

Respite care gives a family caregiver a temporary break. All enrolled veterans are eligible for VA Respite Care if they meet the clinical criteria for the service and it is available. Respite can be in-home (a substitute caregiver comes to the house), delivered through an adult day health care program, or facility-based (the veteran stays temporarily in a VA Community Living Center or a community nursing home).

Two separate 30-day figures get mixed up here, so it's worth keeping them apart. Nursing Home Respite Care is available for a maximum of 30 days per calendar year. Separately, under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), an eligible Primary Family Caregiver receives at least 30 days of respite care per year; that entitlement belongs to PCAFC and is not a benefit every enrolled veteran's caregiver has. Contact the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 to ask which applies to you.

Not sure which VA program fits your family's situation? Chat with Brevy to get a personalized recommendation.

Delaware State Veterans Homes

Delaware operates one State Veterans Home, the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford (100 Delaware Veterans Blvd., Milford, DE 19963; main number (302) 424-6000), established in 2007 on 24 acres. It is a long-term care facility that offers skilled nursing care on four units, with a total of 144 beds.

To be considered for residency, an applicant must have been honorably discharged from active service, peacetime or wartime, with at least 180 days of service; or be a National Guard member with at least 180 days of active service overseas; or a Reservist with at least 180 days of active service; or any National Guard or Reserve member eligible for retirement pay at age 60; or a Gold Star family member. The applicant must also have resided in Delaware for at least one year before applying and have a medically determined need for a long-term level of care.

One home, one waitlist. With 144 beds serving a state that is home to roughly 61,000 veterans, the Delaware Veterans Home can have a wait for admission. Don't let that stall a family that needs care now. While a bed opens up, the VA's home-based and community nursing home programs above can bridge the gap, and Aid and Attendance can help pay for a private assisted living or nursing home in the meantime. Ask the Home directly about current wait times when you apply.

Does Your Veteran Qualify for Aid and Attendance?

The Aid and Attendance pension is a monthly cash benefit for veterans (or surviving spouses) who need help with daily activities.

2026 Rates

Category Monthly Amount
Veteran alone Up to $2,424
Veteran with spouse Up to $2,874
Surviving spouse Up to $1,558

The VA sets these maximums as annual amounts, effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026: $29,093 for a veteran alone, $34,488 for a veteran with one dependent, and $18,697 for a surviving spouse. The monthly figures above are the yearly award divided by 12.

Who Qualifies

To be eligible, the veteran must have:

  • Met the wartime service requirement. The VA lists three service paths, keyed to when active duty began: active duty starting before September 8, 1980 requires at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period; enlisted active duty starting after September 7, 1980 requires at least 24 months (with some exceptions), or the full period for which the veteran was called or ordered to active duty, with at least one day during wartime; and a veteran who started on active duty as an officer after October 16, 1981 qualifies if they had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months
  • Not have received a dishonorable discharge
  • Meet at least one of four tests: be at least 65 years old; have a permanent and total disability; be a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability; or be receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income
  • Need aid and attendance: regular help from another person with activities like dressing, bathing, feeding, or attending to the wants of nature, or regular care to protect against hazards in daily surroundings; or have to stay in bed, or spend a large portion of the day in bed, because of illness; or be a patient in a nursing home because of a loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability; or have eyesight of 5/200 or less in both eyes, or a visual field contracted to 5 degrees or less
  • Have a net worth below $163,699. The VA's net worth calculation combines the claimant's and their dependents' assets and annual income; the primary home, a vehicle, and basic home items like appliances are excluded,

The VA enforces a 3-year look-back period on asset transfers.

How to Apply

The steps below are the pension route to Aid and Attendance, the one the VA describes with the condition "You may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension." Apply using VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), whose examination information section a medical examiner must fill out. Form 21-2680 also covers Aid and Attendance that will be added to monthly compensation, so a veteran already receiving VA disability compensation rather than a pension is not shut out. A wartime veteran pursuing the pension route who is not already receiving a VA pension files Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Pension) as well. You can file online at VA.gov, by mail to the VA Pension Intake Center, or in person at a VA regional office. Asked how long a decision takes, the VA's answer is "It depends." It works claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing.

You don't have to wait for a decision before arranging care. Many families arrange the care their loved one needs now and file the claim at the same time, since Aid and Attendance is meant to reimburse the cost of care a veteran is already paying for.

Don't do this alone. The Delaware Office of Veterans Services has VA-accredited Veteran Service Officers who assist with applying for federal and state benefits, including compensation and pension. The office states that an accredited Veteran Service Organization representative will never charge for claims services, and the VA says "the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your VA benefit claims are always free." Accreditation by itself is not what makes the help free, though. The same VA sentence carries a limiter: an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge you fees for their services. So before you sign anything, check which kind of representative you are dealing with and ask what they charge. A denial isn't the end of the road either, so go back to a Veteran Service Officer before you give up on the claim.

For the full application walkthrough, see our VA Aid and Attendance guide.

Veteran-Directed Care

The Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) program gives veterans a flexible budget, managed by the veteran or their representative, to hire and supervise their own workers so they can keep living at home or in their community. The veteran works with a person-centered options counselor at an Aging and Disability Network Agency, such as an Area Agency on Aging, and a financial management services provider helps with the employer responsibilities that come with being the hiring party, including payroll and taxes.

Veterans may hire family, friends, and neighbors, including a spouse. Whether a particular relative can be paid under a particular program is worth confirming before you count on it, so ask an accredited Veteran Service Officer or your VA social worker about your own situation. All enrolled veterans are eligible for VDC if they are eligible for community care, meet the clinical criteria for the service, and it is available.

VDC isn't offered at every VA medical center, so confirm availability before you count on it. In Delaware, contact the social work department at the Wilmington VA Medical Center, the state's VA medical center, to ask whether VDC is available in your area and how to enroll.

Community Care Through the MISSION Act

The MISSION Act (2018) expanded when veterans can receive care from community (non-VA) providers. Two requirements always apply: the veteran has to be enrolled in or eligible for VA health care, and has to get approval from their VA health care team before seeing a community provider, except in cases like urgent or emergency care. Beyond that, at least one of these has to be true:

  • The VA can't offer an appointment within 20 days (primary care/mental health) or 28 days (specialty care)
  • The drive to a VA facility exceeds 30 minutes (primary care, mental health, and extended outpatient care) or 60 minutes (specialty care)
  • The care you need isn't available at your VA facility
  • Community care is in your best medical interest

Those four numbers are a test VA applies, not a promise it makes. The regulation designates them "for purposes of eligibility determinations," and the condition is met when VA "cannot schedule an appointment" that is within both the drive time and the day count, so failing either standard on its own is enough. Falling outside them can make a veteran eligible for community care. It does not entitle anyone to a VA appointment by day 20.

Three things the regulation says, and VA's public eligibility page does not, decide whether that route is open to you. You have to have "contacted an authorized VA official to request the care" first, so there is no self-referral on drive time alone. The drive time is an "average driving time" from the veteran's residence that VA calculates with geographic information system software, not the trip on your own odometer. And each wait-time limb applies "unless a later date has been agreed to by the veteran in consultation with the VA health care provider," so accepting a later appointment date gives up the wait-time route. None of that closes the route. It is the order the asking has to happen in. If VA decides you do not qualify, that decision is reviewable through VA's clinical appeals process and may not be appealed to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

In 2025, the Senator Elizabeth Dole Act removed a second-review step on the "best medical interest" pathway, making it faster for eligible veterans to access community care.

How VA Benefits Work with Medicare and Medicaid

VA benefits don't replace Medicare or Medicaid, nothing requires a veteran to enroll in Medicare to keep VA health care, and a veteran or surviving spouse can often receive VA pension and Medicaid at the same time., But they don't coordinate or pay each other: you choose which coverage to use each time you get care, and VA health care isn't creditable coverage for Medicare Part B, so delaying Part B while relying on VA alone leaves a lifetime penalty that never goes away.

  • VA + Medicare: Many veterans use both. Medicare covers care from non-VA providers, while VA covers care at VA facilities. You can't bill both for the same service, but having both gives you more options.
  • VA + Medicaid: Delaware's long-term care Medicaid rules (Title 16 of the state Administrative Code, 20000 Medicaid Long Term Care) treat a basic VA pension as unearned income, but they handle the Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowances differently. Those allowances, the chapter says, "do not meet the definition of income because they are assistance for medical and social services," and "The payments are not included in the post eligibility calculation." So in Delaware the Aid and Attendance money is neither counted as income when the state decides whether your veteran qualifies nor added into the post-eligibility calculation that sets a resident's liability for the cost of care. The chapter adds that Aid and Attendance payments "may be used for whatever purpose the veteran wishes without penalty," and that the veteran is free to make this income available to the community spouse. One separate limit does apply: under the Veterans' Benefits Act of 1992, a veteran or a surviving spouse with no children who lives in a Medicaid nursing facility has the VA Improved Pension limited to $90 a month, and that amount is not counted as income in the eligibility or post-eligibility process. The chapter adds that there is no interaction between that reduced pension and the personal needs allowance. Before you budget around that $90, check which facility it is. The federal statute behind the limit defines a nursing facility as one described in section 1919 of the Social Security Act, "other than a facility that is a State home with respect to which the Secretary makes per diem payments for nursing home care pursuant to section 1741(a) of this title" (38 U.S.C. 5503(d)(1)(B)), and 38 CFR 3.551(i) states the limit without repeating that definition, so a Medicaid-covered stay at the Delaware Veterans Home should be checked against the statutory definition rather than assumed to fall under the $90 rule.
  • The Delaware Veterans Home accepts VA, Medicaid, and Medicare, so these payment sources can layer together.

The interaction between these programs gets complicated, and income rules and limits change. Confirm a veteran's specific situation with Delaware Medicaid and a VA-accredited Veteran Service Officer.

How to Access VA Senior Care Benefits in Delaware

1
Step 1

Confirm VA health care enrollment

If the veteran isn't already enrolled in VA health care, apply at va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply. The VA assigns a priority group (1-8) based on service-connected disabilities, income, and other factors. Higher priority groups get more benefits with lower or no copays.

2
Step 2

Get free help

Don't file claims or applications alone. The Delaware Office of Veterans Services provides VA-accredited assistance: its Veteran Service Officers are State of Delaware employees specially trained and accredited by the VA, and they help with applying for federal and state benefits across compensation and pension, health care, education and training, employment, burial and survivor benefits, housing, transportation, and military records. To schedule an appointment with your county service officer, use the office's contact page or call (302) 739-2792; the Office of Veterans Services is at 802 Silver Lake Blvd., Robbins Building, Suite 100, in Dover. An accredited Veteran Service Organization representative never charges for claims services, though an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge fees for theirs, so check which kind you are dealing with. Your local VA medical center can also direct you to social work and benefits staff.

3
Step 3

Gather records

You'll need the veteran's DD-214 (discharge papers), medical records documenting the need for care, and financial information. If you can't find the DD-214, the National Personnel Records Center can provide copies (request through va.gov).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to be service-connected disabled to get VA long-term care?

Not for all programs. Veterans with a high service-connected disability rating get priority access to VA long-term care, often at little or no cost, but other enrolled veterans can access many programs too, depending on their priority group and available resources. Aid and Attendance doesn't require a service-connected disability at all. It requires wartime service, no dishonorable discharge, a need for aid and attendance as the VA defines it, and that the veteran meet at least one of the VA's four tests: 65 or older, a permanent and total disability, a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or receiving SSDI or SSI.

Can a veteran's spouse live in the Delaware Veterans Home?

The Delaware Veterans Home's published eligibility rules focus on the veteran's own service (Gold Star family members are also listed), one year of Delaware residency, and a medically determined need for a long-term level of care. Admission policies and any provisions for spouses can change, so contact the Home directly for current rules.

How long does it take to get Aid and Attendance approved?

The VA's own answer is "It depends." It works claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. Working with a Delaware Veteran Service Officer can reduce the chance of errors that cause delays. You can apply while your loved one is already receiving care.

Does the VA pay for assisted living?

Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly VA pension paid to the veteran, so that money can go toward an assisted living bill. The VA's own long-term care programs are home-based primary care, adult day health care, Community Living Centers, community nursing homes, respite care, and Veteran-Directed Care; Veteran-Directed Care is built around helping a veteran live at home or in their community., Delaware's own State Veterans Home in Milford is a long-term care facility offering skilled nursing care. If assisted living is what your family is weighing, ask a Delaware Veteran Service Officer which of these fits and how Aid and Attendance would apply.

Next Steps

If you're caring for a veteran who needs help, start by calling the Delaware Office of Veterans Services at (302) 739-2792. They can assess which benefits apply and help you file at no cost.

Learn More

VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in DelawareVA Aid and Attendance in Delaware for 2026: who qualifies, monthly rates up to $2,874, how to apply, and where to get free help filing in Delaware. Care TypesHome Care vs Home Health in DelawareHome care vs. home health in Delaware: home health is skilled care Medicare covers; home care is non-medical help it won't. That line decides who pays. Care TypesNursing Homes in DelawareNursing homes in Delaware in 2026: a private room runs about $181,588/year, well above the national median. What it costs, who pays, and how to vet a facility. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in DelawareCost of senior care in Delaware (2026): above the national line in every setting, with a private nursing-home room about $181,588 a year, plus how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs Nursing Homes in DelawareAssisted living vs. a nursing home in Delaware: the care-level line, the cost gap, and who pays. Medicaid covers nursing homes, not assisted-living rent.
Your next step Find personalized help navigating VA senior care benefits in Delaware at brevy.com.

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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