“Aid and Attendance” for Military Disability

Published: August 18, 2014
Last Updated: August 14, 2023

The term “Aid and Attendance” is used in VA Disability to describe Disabled American Veterans who require the regular care given by another person. The caregiver does not have to be a professional to qualify. Aid and Attendance can be given by family, friends, etc. The caregiver also does not have to be with the veteran constantly, just regularly to help with specific tasks.

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, one of the following must apply:

The person must need assistance every day to perform the Activities of Daily Living, adjust prosthetic devices, etc.
The person’s disability must require the regular care of another person to prevent harm of self or others.
The person must have to ALWAYS and permanently be in bed, not just on bed-rest for a period of time.

A person does NOT qualify for Aid and Attendance if he is in a care institution or hospital. This is because there are other laws in place that cover people in official care facilities. Aid and Attendance is only for home care.

Aid and Attendance comes into play for VA Disability in two ways. First, if a veteran has extra severe disabilities that require Aid and Attendance, he may be able to receive the Aid and Attendance category of Special Monthly Compensation. Second, additional compensation is given to veterans if their spouse requires Aid and Attendance. See our VA Disability Chart page for complete details.