Figuring out how to pay for a parent's memory care is one of the harder problems a family takes on. When the person who needs care is a wartime veteran or a surviving spouse, VA Aid and Attendance can help. In 2026 it can add up to $2,424 a month toward the bill in Kansas, and many families who assume they earn too much to qualify actually do. Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly VA pension for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities, and that description fits many people living with dementia.

This guide walks through what the benefit pays in 2026, why a veteran with Alzheimer's or another dementia often qualifies, how memory-care costs can lower the income the VA counts against you, and how to apply at no cost. Take it one section at a time; you do not need to understand all of it before you begin.

In This Guide

Key Takeaways

  • In 2026, Aid and Attendance can add up to $2,424 a month for a veteran, $2,874 for a veteran with one dependent, and $1,558 for a surviving spouse.
  • Dementia commonly meets the benefit's core test (needing help with daily activities or protection from everyday hazards), so a veteran with Alzheimer's often qualifies.
  • Memory care in Kansas is a secured, specially staffed setting within a licensed adult care home; there is no separate memory-care license in the state.
  • Memory-care fees count as unreimbursed medical expenses that can lower the income the VA counts, which can qualify a family that looks "too high" on paper.
  • The Kansas Office of Veterans Services (KOVS) files VA pension and Aid and Attendance claims for free; never pay anyone to prepare your claim.

How Much Memory Care Costs in Kansas

In Kansas, memory care is not a separate license. The state does not issue a stand-alone memory-care license; dementia care and secured special-care sections are regulated within licensed adult care homes, chiefly assisted living and residential health care facilities. The rules require that direct-care staff working in a secured dementia section receive dementia-specific training before they are assigned there, and that any secured unit control resident exits in the least restrictive way possible.

Because there is no separate license, there is no single official "memory care" price tag in Kansas. The closest published benchmark is the cost of assisted living, which memory care builds on. Kansas assisted-living costs have historically tracked close to the national median, which the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (released in March 2026, the most recent data) put at about $6,200 a month, or roughly $74,400 a year. These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, and costs vary within the state and rise as care needs grow. The secured setting and specialized dementia staffing that define memory care typically push the monthly rate above that standard assisted-living figure, so treat the assisted-living median as a floor rather than a full estimate.

How Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for Memory Care

Aid and Attendance is an increase added on top of the basic VA pension for those who need regular help with daily activities. It is paid as a monthly cash benefit, so the money can go straight toward a memory-care bill. Here are the 2026 maximums, in effect from December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026:

Who qualifies Maximum Aid and Attendance pension (2026)
Veteran (no dependents) $2,424 / month
Veteran with one dependent $2,874 / month
Surviving spouse $1,558 / month

These are maximums. The VA pays the difference between your countable income and the program's annual limit, so the exact amount depends on your income after allowable medical expenses, which is where memory-care costs come in. Against a Kansas memory-care bill that starts above the roughly $6,200-a-month assisted-living median, even the full benefit covers only part of the cost, but it is a meaningful, predictable offset every month.

Why Veterans With Dementia Often Qualify

The Aid and Attendance test is about need, not a specific diagnosis. The VA looks for someone who needs help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or feeding themselves, who must be protected from everyday hazards, who is largely confined to bed, or who is in a facility because of physical or mental incapacity. A veteran living with moderate or advanced dementia usually meets one or more of these descriptions: needing supervision to stay safe and hands-on help through the day is exactly what a secured memory-care unit provides.

The need is documented on a medical form (VA Form 21-2680) that the veteran's doctor completes, describing the help required. For a dementia diagnosis, that form is where the physician records the supervision, cueing, and personal-care assistance the condition demands.

How Memory Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

This is the part families most often miss. VA pension is needs-based: the VA pays the gap between your countable income and the annual limit. Because the benefit is keyed to income, you can lower that income by deducting continuing, unreimbursed medical expenses, and the monthly cost of memory care counts. Residential-facility care like a secured dementia unit counts as a deductible medical expense when the facility provides health or custodial care and the veteran either qualifies for Aid and Attendance or has a written statement from a physician or other qualified provider that they need that care or must live in a protected environment.

Only the portion of those expenses that exceeds 5% of the applicable annual pension limit is deductible. For 2026 that floor is $872 a year for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 a year for a veteran with one dependent. These are annual floors, not monthly ones.

Here is how that plays out. Suppose a veteran pays about $6,200 a month for a Kansas memory-care unit, or roughly $74,400 over a year, the assisted-living median that a secured dementia rate typically meets or exceeds. Almost all of that (everything above the $872 floor) can be deducted from countable income. A veteran whose income looked too high to qualify on paper can drop to little or no countable income once that bill is subtracted, which can unlock all or most of the monthly benefit.

Who Qualifies

Beyond the need for aid and attendance, the VA pension has service, age, and financial tests:

  • Wartime service. At least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period (such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War). Gulf War-era service has a longer active-duty requirement.
  • Age or disability. The veteran must be 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled.
  • Net worth. Total net worth (assets plus annual income) must be under $163,699 for 2026. The primary home, a vehicle, and basic household items do not count.
  • Three-year look-back. The VA reviews assets transferred for less than fair market value in the three years before filing, and a transfer can trigger a penalty period. Talk to an accredited representative before giving away or moving assets to qualify.

A surviving spouse who has not remarried can qualify under the Survivors Pension, with the same $163,699 net-worth limit.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Kansas Medicaid

A senior can receive both VA pension with Aid and Attendance and Kansas Medicaid long-term care, but the two programs interact. Kansas Medicaid is the state's Medicaid program, branded KanCare and administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

For Medicaid long-term-care eligibility, VA pension income is generally counted as income, except that, under federal rules, the portion attributable to unreimbursed medical expenses, which typically includes the Aid and Attendance amount, is generally not counted toward the Medicaid income limit. Separately, under federal law a single veteran or surviving spouse with no dependents who is receiving Medicaid-funded nursing-home care has their VA pension reduced to $90 per month, a rule that applies to Medicaid-covered nursing-facility care, not to privately paid memory care. Because exact treatment can vary, anyone weighing both programs should confirm the specifics with a KOVS Veteran Service Representative and with KanCare/KDHE before relying on either rule.

How to Apply and Get Free Help

You apply with two VA forms. The first is VA Form 21-2680, the examination form documenting the need for regular aid and attendance, which the veteran's doctor completes. If the veteran is not already receiving a VA pension, also file VA Form 21P-527EZ, the pension application. You can submit online at va.gov, by mail, or through an accredited representative. Claims often take three to six months or longer, so file as early as you can.

In Kansas, you do not have to do this alone or pay for help. The Kansas Office of Veterans Services (KOVS) provides free claims assistance through Veteran Service Representatives who are accredited by the VA, certified annually, and located in field offices across the state; they help veterans and survivors figure out what they qualify for and prepare and file federal VA claims (including VA pension and Aid and Attendance) at no cost. KOVS can be reached at its statewide toll-free number, 1-800-513-7731. Anyone preparing your claim should be accredited; you should never pay a fee to have a pension claim filed.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Not automatically: the benefit is based on need, not a diagnosis. But a veteran with dementia who needs help with daily activities or supervision to stay safe usually meets the test, and the doctor documents that need on VA Form 21-2680.

Can Aid and Attendance pay the full cost of memory care in Kansas?

Usually not the full cost. Kansas memory care typically starts above the assisted-living median of about $6,200 a month, and the maximum benefit is $2,424 a month for a veteran. It is a steady monthly offset toward the bill rather than full coverage.

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

Yes. The VA lets you deduct continuing memory-care costs from countable income, and only the amount above the annual floor ($872 for a veteran with no dependents) is excluded. A large memory-care bill can drop countable income to little or nothing, so families who look ineligible on paper often still qualify.

Can my parent get both Aid and Attendance and KanCare?

Yes, a senior can receive both VA pension with Aid and Attendance and Kansas Medicaid (KanCare), though the programs interact and the treatment of VA income can vary. Confirm the specifics with a KOVS Veteran Service Representative and with KanCare/KDHE before relying on either program.

Next Steps

Start by asking the veteran's doctor to complete VA Form 21-2680, then contact a KOVS Veteran Service Representative to prepare and file the claim for free. Gather income and asset records ahead of time, and if you are weighing KanCare alongside the VA benefit, ask KOVS and KanCare/KDHE how the two will interact in your situation.

Compare Care Settings in Kansas

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

Learn More

VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in KansasVA Aid and Attendance in Kansas for 2026: who qualifies, monthly rates up to $2,874, how to apply, and free help from the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance for Assisted Living in KansasHow VA Aid and Attendance helps pay for assisted living in Kansas: 2026 monthly rates, the 5% medical expense rule, who qualifies, and free help to apply. Care TypesMemory Care in KansasKansas has no memory care license. Secure dementia care is a special-care section inside a licensed adult care home. See the rules, cost, and how to vet one.
Your next step Find personalized help using VA benefits to pay for memory care in Kansas 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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Brevy Care Team

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