What Is Veteran-Directed Care?
A VA program that lets Veterans stay home, direct their own care, and hire the people they trust.
Your Care, on Your Terms, in Your Home.
Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) is a VA program that gives Veterans a flexible budget for the services they need and the freedom to decide how to use it. Instead of being assigned caregivers on someone else's schedule, Veterans hire the people they trust, including family members, friends, and neighbors, and direct their own care at home.
The program serves Veterans of all ages who need help with everyday activities and might otherwise face a move to a nursing facility. For many families, it is the difference between managing care and living life at home.
From First Conversation to Care at Home.
Veteran-Directed Care brings together the VA, local community agencies, and a Financial Management Services provider. Here is how the pieces fit.
It Starts at the VA
Veteran-Directed Care is a VA program, jointly administered with the Administration for Community Living at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Veterans usually begin by talking with their VA care team or social worker, who can confirm eligibility and make a referral.
A Local Agency Helps You Plan
The program is delivered through Aging and Disability Network Agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging and Centers for Independent Living. An options counselor helps each Veteran assess their needs and build a flexible spending plan around them.
The Veteran Directs the Care
With that budget, Veterans decide what mix of services fits their life and hire the people they trust to provide care, including family members, friends, and neighbors.
Veterans Choose Handles the Rest
As the Financial Management Services provider, we take care of caregiver payroll, employer taxes, budget tracking, and program paperwork, so directing your own care never means doing your own accounting.
Who Qualifies?
Veteran-Directed Care is for Veterans of all ages who are enrolled in VA health care. In general, the program is designed for Veterans who:
- Need help with everyday activities like bathing, getting dressed, or preparing meals
- Are isolated, or have a caregiver who is carrying a heavy load
- Want to keep living at home or in their community
Enrolled Veterans are eligible when they qualify for community care, meet the clinical criteria for the service, and the program is available in their area. Availability varies by location, and eligibility is determined by the VA. The best first step is a conversation with your VA social worker or care team.
Independence and Dignity, at Home.
Given the choice, most people would rather stay in their own home, surrounded by the people and routines they know, than move into a facility. Veteran-Directed Care makes that choice real for the men and women who served, and it puts them in charge of how their own care works.
The program is still growing, and far more Veterans could benefit than are enrolled today. Awareness is the biggest gap, and recent federal legislation calls for making the program available through more VA medical centers. That is why we built this page: the more people who understand Veteran-Directed Care, the more Veterans get the choice.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Veteran-Directed Care works because agencies, Veterans, and families all have a partner in it.
For Veterans & Families
Wondering what Veteran-Directed Care could look like for you or someone you love? We are happy to talk it through.
For Agencies
If your organization delivers Veteran-Directed Care, or wants to, we can make the program easier to run.