Community Residential Care
What is Community Residential Care?
The Community Residential Care (CRC) program is for Veterans who do not need hospital or nursing home care but cannot live alone because of medical or psychiatric conditions.
This type of care takes place in a number of settings including Assisted Living facilities, Personal Care Homes, Family Care Homes, Group Living Homes, and Psychiatric Community Residential Care Homes. These places – more than 550 of them across the country – are inspected and approved by VA medical center staff, but are chosen by the Veteran.
Community Residential Care
Learn more about the Community Residential Care Program and the many types of settings where it can take place. Take a tour of several Community Residential Care locations. Hear from Veterans and staff members, including one who says, “We’re able to help Veterans who cannot help themselves.”
Am I eligible for Community Residential Care?
Community Residential Care is for Veterans who have no support person who can provide monitoring, supervision or help with activities of daily living (e.g. bathing, getting dressed, preparing meals).
Veterans pay for their rent from VA compensation, VA pension, Social Security or other retirement or income sources.
What services can I get?
The CRC program provides room, board, limited personal care and supervision. It can include such services as psychiatric care, primary care, medication supervision, and self-care supervision, if needed.
The Veteran receives periodic visits from VA health care professionals, but most medical care is provided on an outpatient basis at VA facilities.
How do I decide if Community Residential Care is right for me?
You can use a Veteran Decision Aid for Care at Home or in the Community to help you figure out what home care services or long term care services may best meet your needs now or in the future.
There's also a Caregiver Self-Assessment. It can help your caregiver identify their own needs and decide how much support they can offer to you. Having this information from your caregiver, along with the involvement of your care team and social worker, will help you reach short-term and long-term care decisions.
Ask your social worker for these resources or download copies from the Making Decisions page at www.va.gov/Geriatrics.
If Community Residential Care seems right for you, the Community Residential Care program coordinator or their designee, in collaboration with the treatment team, can help you locate a facility and help with making arrangements.
