Veterans Directed Care Program
Veteran-Directed Care gives Veterans of all ages the opportunity to receive the Home and Community Services they need in a consumer-directed way. Veterans in this program are given a flexible budget for services that can be managed by the Veteran or the family caregiver. Veteran-Directed Care can be used to help Veterans continue to live at home or in their community.
Who is eligible for Veteran Directed Care (VDC)?
Any Veteran enrolled in VA’s health care System who need home care services, case management, and significant assistance with activities of daily living (such as bathing and getting dressed) or instrumental activities of daily living (such as fixing meals and taking medications); are isolated or their caregiver is experiencing burden. Some medical and administrative criteria must meet. Ask your social worker if this program is for you.
What services does VDC provides?
As part of this program, Veterans and their caregiver have more access, choice and control over their home care services or long-term care services. Veterans enrolled in this program can decide what mix of home and community-based services will best meet their needs.
Veterans enrolled in this program:
- Makes decision based on individual budget.
- Hires the employee(s) they want including families, friends and/or neighbors.
- Determine the tasks the employee(s) will execute.
- Train or arrange the trainings his/her employee(s) needs to execute the task
- Evaluate workers performance
- Determines goods and services to be purchase.
How the VDC program works?
Veterans in this program are assigned a flexible monthly budget for services that can be managed by the Veteran or an appointed representative. The budget amount is determine based on the Veteran ADL’s needs. This budget is periodically given to a VA provider who manage and distribute employees' payments. The payments are electronically sent to the employee that was contracted by the Veteran or Veteran's representative.
How can I request VDC ?
Veterans interested in VDC needs to discuss their needs to his/her primary healthcare provider or social worker of your PACT Team. They will initially orient about the program and create an electronic consult.
What do I expect once the consult is created ?
Once the social worker creates the electronic consult, a Geriatric Service personnel will contact the Veteran or Veteran’s representative. During the call VA personnel will preliminarily qualify the Veteran through a 19 questions assessment that determine the Veteran's ADL’s needs.
Who can I contact to request Veterans Directed Care Program?
Contact your social worker to determine if Veteran-Directed Care seems right for you.
How do I decide if VDC it is right for me?
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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.
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This tool 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.
Juan L. Carreras
VHA VDC Program Specialist
VA Caribbean health care
Phone:
Email: juan.carreras-benitez@va.gov
Jose Rodriguez-Nieves
VHA VDC Program Specialist
VA Caribbean health care
Phone:
Email: jose.rodriguez-nieves@va.gov