The Veteran Directed Care Program: Supporting Veterans and their Family Caregivers in the Community

The Veteran Directed Care Program (VDC, formerly VD-HCBS) gives Veterans of all ages who are at a nursing home level of care the opportunity to live at home and direct their care and services. In VDC, Veterans are given a flexible budget for services that can be managed by the Veteran or the family caregiver. Veterans decide what mix of services will best meet their needs; hire their own personal care aides (which might include family members, friends or neighbors); and buy items and services that will help them live independently in the community. The webinar will address how the program may also support Veterans’ family caregivers by allowing the purchase of respite and other caregiver supports from their self-directed budgets.

As part of this program, Veterans and their caregivers have more access, choice and control over their home care services or long-term care services. Caregivers of Veterans may find this program helpful because the Veteran can customize their care to fit their life, hire family, friends and neighbors to provide care and services, and support their family caregivers through consumer-directed respite and other caregiver support services. Discussion will include how Lifespan Respite grantees and their partners can best work with VDC programs in their states.

See a list of Aging and Disability Network Agencies (ADNAs) including State Units on Aging (SUA), Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Centers for Independent Living (CIL) that are approved as qualified providers for VDC.

Presenters

• Caroline Ryan, Veteran Directed Care Program Manager, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Daniel J Schoeps, Director, Purchased Long Term Services and Supports, Geriatrics and Extended Care, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs