On November 1, 2022, Assisting Hands Rockford was honored to attend as guest speakers at the Vietnam2now membership meeting in Rockford, IL, as meeting and educating Veterans in the community is what we do. It was a well-attended meeting with Veterans from Rockford and surrounding areas as well as some Veteran’s from DeKalb, another area we serve. They had asked us to come speak to them about the various VA benefits available to them and how they could utilize our services.

Most Veterans are vaguely familiar with homemaker services or were not aware of the Homemaker Program and Aid and Attendance Benefits. Within the VA there are 3 branches of benefits: Healthcare, Pension and Burial. At Assisting Hands Rockford, we want Veterans to know that there are several benefits available to them. They can use us as a resource to help them understand what is available.  The process of getting to the point of an assessment to see what all they qualify for can be very daunting. That’s where we can help!

We’ve heard from families that they don’t know where to start. They have called the VA but are getting stuck. Some say they’ve been waiting to hear back for months, so we understand. The process can be frustrating, so we are here to help you navigate the process. With many success stories of getting Veteran’s through the process, we are approved for hours, so that Veterans can have assistance at home. We assist with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), as well as respite care for their primary caregivers, usually spouse or family members.

VA Homemaker Program

VA Homemaker & Home Health Aide Care is available for those who are isolated. This also provides respite care for their family caregiver.  It is also intended to help individuals who feel they need assistance to feel safe in their own home.  Here are some of the services that are available:

OUR IN-HOME CARE SERVICES INCLUDE:

Dressing, grooming, bathing

Fixing meals/eating

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Getting to appointments

Transfer assistance

Running errands

Respite care

Veteran’s Aid & Attendance Program

This program qualifies a Veteran and/or their spouse or surviving spouse benefit funds up to $2,200 per month.  These funds will enable you to pay for a Personal Caregiver to come to your home and assist you with cooking meals, transportation, grocery shopping, light house-keeping, getting dressed, etc. The goal of the Personal Caregiver is to help you with difficult tasks and reduce your risk of falling, so it can help you avoid going into a nursing home or a hospital. It can mean the difference between being in a facility and maintaining your independence at home.

For more information on how Assisting Hands Rockford can help, feel free to give us a call at 815-884-CARE.

Recent Google Reviews from Our Veteran Families

“Assisting hands has been awesome! My dad has dementia and his caregiver is wonderful. They’re always on time and have been more than willing to help us with our scheduling. They helped us with the VA and getting hours that way. I can’t say enough good things about assisting hands home Care.” –Dyanne 

“The managers of Assisting Hands, Rockford, have been terrific in helping our family connect with the VA to get my dad coverage for caregiving hours. They really helped by knowing what benefits were open to us, and guiding us in making connections with a sometimes-difficult phone system. Now that my dad is receiving care, his caregiver is very sweet and helpful. He enjoys visiting with her and we have peace of mind knowing that he is well taken care of, receiving meals and taking his meds, as well as other assistance. The gals from Assisting Hands even helped us to figure out how to connect his cable system to the DVD player so he can watch some of his favorite movies again. They are already spoiling him. We are very thankful for their support.” –Beth

“Assisting Hands has been a blessing for my son’s father. He is now able to stay in his own apartment because he has a caregiver to come to him to assist him with some of the things he was struggling to do. Jen in the office could not be more helpful with such an uplifting sweet but professional attitude. She seems to always be available to take a phone call to assist with questions. Thank you so much, Jen!” –Linda