The VA provides “Community Living Centers”, or what used to be called Nursing Homes. These are operated by the VA, and are usually in a Veterans Administration Hospital. These Community Living Centers (CLC’s) provide rehabilitation for veterans recovering from injury and illness in the short-term, but also provide long-term skilled nursing care for veterans who need care for long periods of time for a service-connected injury.
For veterans rated at 70% service-connected or higher, or for those who need nursing home care for their service-connected injuries, the VA pays for their nursing home placement as part of their package of healthcare benefits.
The CLC’s are available for non-service connected veterans who are enrolled in VHA healthcare, and need short term services such as rehabilitation, hospice, respite, and for those waiting for placement in the community.
VA provides care to veterans based on a priority system. There are currently 8 categories of veterans based on service- connection and financial need. For example, a veteran who is 50% service-connected or higher is in category 1. A non-service connected veteran with significant assets and income is most likely going to be enrolled in category 8.
Veterans in category 1 will be eligible for placement in a CLC, and will not have a co-pay, but those in category 8 will be placed in a CLC only if there is availability and no one in a higher category needs the bed. The veteran in category 8 will pay a daily co-pay for services in the CLC.
In Atlanta, the CLC is located in the VA hospital on Clairmont Road, and is almost always full to capacity with a waiting list. For those veterans for whom nursing home care is not part of the package of medical benefits, they may be able to find placement in one of the two Georgia War Veterans Homes.
The two Georgia War Veterans Homes in Georgia are not run by the national VA, but are available to veterans. The Georgia Department of Veterans Services and the Georgia Health Sciences University operate the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home in Augusta. The Georgia War Veterans Home in Milledgeville is operated by United Veteran Services of Georgia, Inc., which operates the home for the Georgia Department of Veterans Services.
In order to be eligible for admission to a Georgia War Veterans Home, the person must be domiciled in Georgia, and must have resided in Georgia for the five years immediately preceding admission. He or she must have been a “war veteran”, defined as any veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the U.S. during wartime or during the period between January 31, 1955 and May 7, 1975. In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs must approve them as “eligible for care and treatment”. Veterans accepted into the Georgia War Veterans Homes will be required to pay some expenses such as Medicare or health-care insurance deductibles and co-pays. The forms to apply for admission can be found at Georgia War Veterans Homes.