Veterans Home-Care Benefits · 2026 Tennessee Edition

Which VA Benefit
Is Right for You?

If you served — or your spouse or parent did — the VA may help pay for care at home. Most veterans never claim it. This is the map to the right door.

★ Veteran-OwnedLocally OwnedJoint Commission Accredited
Get my free benefit check

Memphis: (901) 472-4100 · Nashville: (615) 252-7999

The big idea

There are two doors — not one

The VA is really two organizations. The benefits you want live behind two separate doors, and most people knock on the wrong one. Here's the difference.

Door 1 · VA Benefits side

The Money Door

You get cash added to a monthly pension and spend it on any care you choose — even a private caregiver. No VA hospital needed.

Holds: Aid & Attendance
Door 2 · VA Health side

The Care Door

The VA provides or pays for a service directly. You must be enrolled in VA health care and go through your VA care team.

Holds: Home Health Aide + Respite

Start here: What do you need most?

Pick the lane that sounds most like you — you can follow more than one.

💵 Money Door

Aid & Attendance

“I need money to pay for care.”
1Did the veteran serve 90+ days active duty, with 1+ day in a wartime period?Combat / overseas not required. Surviving spouse: answer for your late spouse.
YES ↓NO → unlikely
2Are they 65+ or permanently disabled?
YES ↓NO
3Do they need help with daily living (bathing, dressing, eating) — or are mostly homebound?
YES ↓NO
4Is income limited after subtracting care costs, and net worth under ~$155k?Don't quit here — see note.
YES / MAYBE ↓
The surprise: your care cost is subtracted from incomein the VA's math. Many who look “over the limit” qualify once the care bill counts.
You may qualify →
A free accredited officer files it for you. Never pay to file.
Forms: 21P-527EZ (veteran) / 21P-534EZ (spouse) + 21-2680 (any doctor completes).
🤝 Care Door

Home Health Aide

“I want the VA to send a caregiver.”
1Is the veteran enrolled in VA health care?Not enrolled? Start with Form 10-10EZ or call 1-877-222-8387.
YES ↓NO → enroll first
2Do they need hands-on help with daily activities at home?
YES ↓NO
Ask the VA care team →
Tell the VA primary care provider or social worker: “We'd like a referral to Homemaker & Home Health Aide services.”
The VA assesses and arranges the aide. A small copay may apply.
😮‍💨 Care Door

Respite Care

“I give the care, and I need a break.”
1Is the veteran enrolled in VA health care?Not enrolled? Start with Form 10-10EZ or call 1-877-222-8387.
YES ↓NO → enroll first
2Is a family member giving regular care and needing relief?
YES ↓NO
Ask the VA care team →
Tell the VA care team or social worker: “The family caregiver needs respite care.”
In-home respite, an adult day program, or a short stay. A small copay may apply.

Can you get all three? Yes.

They come from different VA budgets, so one doesn't cancel another. Just two rules:

Rule 1

The same care hourscan't be paid twice. If the VA covers Monday morning, you can't also count that hour as out-of-pocket.

Rule 2

VA-paid care doesn't help your A&A math — paying out of pocket is what lowers your income on paper.

Forms & phone cheat sheet

21P-527EZA&A pension — veteran
21P-534EZA&A pension — surviving spouse
21-2680Doctor's exam form
10-10EZEnroll in VA health care
1-800-827-1000VA benefits / pension line
1-877-222-8387VA health enrollment line
VA.govFind every form
Files it FREE — never pay

Who files your claim

  • Tennessee Dept. of Veterans Services
  • Your County Veterans Service Officer
    (Shelby / Davidson)
  • VFW · American Legion · DAV · AMVETS
We'll connect you to the officer nearest you.

Get your free benefit check

Tell us who you are and we'll call to walk through the three benefits, what you likely qualify for, and which free officer should file your claim.

Calls are always freeNo obligationWe never share your information

By submitting, you agree to be contacted by BrightStar Care about home care services and VA benefit options. We don't file claims or charge for benefit help — accredited officers do that for free.

You earned this. Let's go claim it.

We don't file your claim — the free officers above do. As a veteran-owned local agency, we point you to the right door, provide the care, and document its cost — often what makes the Aid & Attendance math work.

Get my free benefit check

Memphis: (901) 472-4100 · Nashville: (615) 252-7999

BrightStar Care of Memphis & Nashville · homecareclarity.com · A Higher Standard of Care

BrightStar Care is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. We do not file VA claims or charge for benefit help. Eligibility is determined by the VA. This page is general information, not legal or benefits advice. Net-worth limit (~$155,000) and benefit amounts are set by the VA and change yearly — confirm current figures with an accredited officer.