What VA-authorized home care means
If a veteran is enrolled in VA health care and needs help at home, VA can pay for a caregiver to come to the house. You do not have to hire someone on your own or pay out of pocket for the hours VA authorizes.
Here is how it works. A VA care team, usually a VA social worker working with a nurse, meets with the veteran and looks at what daily tasks have become hard. Bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet and getting in and out of a bed or chair are the big ones. Memory loss counts too. If the team finds a real need, VA decides how many hours of help each week make sense. Then VA sends that authorization to a home care agency in the community, and the agency sends a caregiver.
That last step is where VETTED comes in. We accept VA community care referrals for veterans across Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. VA pays us directly for the hours it authorizes. Our caregivers come to the veteran's home and help with personal care, meals, housekeeping and company.
This is non-medical care. Our caregivers are not nurses. They help with the tasks of daily life so the veteran can stay in the home they know, and so the family can breathe a little easier.
Three ways VA can cover care at home
Homemaker / Home Health Aide
The most common program. A caregiver comes on a regular schedule to help with bathing, dressing, meals, light housekeeping and more. VA sets the weekly hours.
Respite care
For the spouse, son or daughter who does most of the caregiving. A VETTED caregiver steps in at home so you can rest, run errands or keep your own appointments.
Veteran-Directed Care
The veteran gets a flexible budget and hires their own helpers, often family or friends. In Southeast Michigan, AgeWays helps manage the program for many veterans. We can help with backup coverage where the program allows.
What our caregivers help with
Everyday help at home
- Bathing, showering and grooming
- Dressing and undressing
- Help using the toilet and with incontinence care
- Moving around the house, and safe transfers from bed, chair or wheelchair
- Planning and cooking meals, and help with eating
- Medication reminders at the right times
- Light housekeeping, dishes and tidying up
- Laundry and changing bed linens
- Errands, grocery runs and rides to appointments
- Company, conversation and a steady routine
- Dementia-aware care for veterans with memory loss
- Time off for family caregivers
What we don't do
We are clear about this so you can plan the rest of the veteran's care with confidence.
- Give or administer medications
- Give injections, including insulin
- Wound care or dressing changes
- Medical or clinical assessments
- Prepare, file or charge for VA benefit claims
If the veteran needs nursing or medical care at home, the VA care team can arrange a separate skilled provider. Our caregivers can work alongside that provider on the non-medical side.
How to get started
-
Talk to the veteran's VA social worker
Call the veteran's VA primary care team and ask to speak with the social worker. Explain what daily tasks have become hard. If you don't know who the social worker is, the primary care clinic can tell you. Most veterans in our area are seen through the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit. Many in western Wayne County are seen through VA Ann Arbor at the Maj. Gen. Oliver W. Dillard VA Clinic in Canton.
-
Ask about help at home
Tell the social worker which daily tasks have become hard and what has changed. VA decides what care fits and makes the arrangements.
-
VA assesses and authorizes hours
The VA team meets with the veteran, reviews what help is needed, and decides the weekly hours. Many veterans are authorized for a few hours a week, and some receive up to about 16. VA then sends the referral to the agency.
-
We call you and schedule a first visit
Once we receive the referral, we call you. We talk through the veteran's routine and preferences, set a schedule that fits the authorized hours, and plan the first visit.
What to say to the social worker
The short version:
"He needs help at home, and we'd like to ask about home care."
A fuller example:
"My father is a veteran and he needs help at home with bathing, dressing and meals. We would like to ask about home care. Can you help us set that up?"
Change the details to fit your family. If it helps, write it down before you call. You can also call us at 248-794-9292 first, and we will walk you through the conversation.
What to expect once care begins
The first visit is mostly about getting to know each other. A member of our team comes with the caregiver, or calls ahead, to go over the veteran's day: when they like to get up, how they take their coffee, which chair is theirs, what makes a shower go smoothly and what makes it hard. We ask about pets, stairs, hearing and anything else that helps a caregiver do the job well from the start.
After that, the caregiver comes on the days and times we agreed on. We try hard to send the same caregiver each visit, because trust grows with familiarity, especially for veterans with memory loss. If a caregiver is sick or on vacation, we tell you ahead of time and arrange coverage whenever we can.
The family stays in the loop. If the caregiver notices a change, such as a veteran who is eating less, seems more confused or is having trouble on the stairs, we let you know. Where it makes sense, we will suggest you mention it to the VA social worker, since changes in need can mean changes in authorized hours.
And if something isn't working, whether it's the schedule, the fit or anything else, call us. We would rather fix a small problem early than lose your trust.
Who qualifies
In general, a veteran can receive home care through VA when two things are true:
- The veteran is enrolled in VA health care.
- A VA care team finds that the veteran needs help with several daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting or moving from bed to chair, or has significant memory or thinking problems.
A service-connected disability is not always required. VA pays the agency directly for authorized hours. Some veterans owe a VA copay for extended care, depending on their priority group and income. Many owe nothing. The veteran's VA social worker can tell you what applies, or you can check at va.gov.
If the veteran is not yet enrolled in VA health care, that is the first step. You can apply at va.gov, or a county veterans service office can help at no cost.
VA-authorized care or private-pay care?
| VA-authorized care | Private-pay care | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | VA pays VETTED directly for authorized hours. Some veterans owe a VA copay; many owe none. | You do, at our private-pay rate (ask us) |
| Who decides the hours | A VA care team | You and our care team |
| How to start | Talk to the veteran's VA social worker | Call our care team |
| What's included | Non-medical help with daily activities, within the hours VA authorizes | The same non-medical help |
| When it makes sense | The veteran is enrolled in VA health care and VA finds a need for help at home | If the veteran is not eligible for VA home care, or the care is for a spouse or family member |
Where we serve
VETTED serves veterans throughout Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties from our office in Troy.
Oakland County
Troy, Royal Oak, Southfield, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Waterford, Novi and nearby communities.
Macomb County
Warren, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, Shelby Township, St. Clair Shores, Roseville, Macomb Township and nearby communities.
Wayne County
Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Westland, Canton, Taylor, Wyandotte and the Downriver communities.
See our full service area, or read about care in Troy, Detroit, Warren, Sterling Heights, Livonia, Dearborn, Southfield, Royal Oak, Pontiac, Clinton Township, Canton, Westland, Plymouth, Garden City and Dearborn Heights.
Why a veteran-owned agency
VETTED was founded by Evan Shelline, who enlisted after 9/11 and served about a decade in the U.S. Navy, including about six years as a Navy SEAL. He started VETTED because he wanted veterans in his own community to be cared for by people who understand where they have been. He is a father of four, active in his local VFW post, and chairs the Veteran Advisory Committee at Lily Hospice.
That shows up in small ways. Our caregivers know that a veteran may not want to talk about service, or may want to talk about nothing else. We respect routines, privacy and pride. And we treat the family as part of the team, because you know the veteran best.
VETTED is the only service-disabled veteran-owned home care agency we have found serving Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. Reviewed August 2026.
VETTED is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, certified through the SBA's VetCert program. Our co-owner, Chris Warburton, brings more than 15 years of running healthcare operations in southeast Michigan.
A word about Aid & Attendance
Families often ask us about Aid & Attendance. It is a VA pension benefit that can add money to a veteran's or surviving spouse's monthly payment when they need help with daily activities or are housebound. Eligibility depends on wartime service, income and assets, and the rules are detailed.
It is separate from VA-authorized home care. A veteran may be able to receive both. Aid & Attendance is paid to the veteran or spouse, and the family decides how to use it.
For VA social workers
If you are placing a home care referral for a veteran in Oakland, Macomb or Wayne county, we would like to be a dependable name on your list. We accept VA community care referrals for Homemaker / Home Health Aide and respite care, and we can support Veteran-Directed Care where the program allows.
The Dole Act, signed January 2, 2025, requires VA to offer Homemaker / Home Health Aide care and Veteran-Directed Care at every VA medical center by early 2027, and we are ready to help meet that demand locally.
Guides for families
Plain-language answers to the questions families ask most, written for the spouses and adult children of aging veterans.
- Does the VA pay for home care? A straight answer for families
- Home care for aging veterans: a guide for families
- In-home dementia care for veterans
- Aid and Attendance vs. VA home care: what's the difference?
- VA help for family caregivers: stipends, support and respite
- Home care for a veteran's spouse: what VA covers and where else to look
- How to choose a home care agency for a veteran
- What to expect in the first week of home care
Questions families ask
Does VA-authorized home care cost our family anything?
VA pays VETTED directly for the hours it authorizes. Some veterans owe a VA copay for extended care, depending on their priority group and income, and many owe nothing. The veteran's VA social worker can tell you what applies.
The veteran already has a different home care agency. Can we switch?
Talk to the veteran's VA social worker and explain why you would like a change. VA decides and handles any change in authorization. We are happy to talk it through with you first at 248-794-9292.
Are your caregivers nurses?
No. Our caregivers provide non-medical help: personal care, meals, housekeeping, errands, company and medication reminders. They do not give medications, injections or wound care. If the veteran needs nursing, the VA care team can arrange it separately.
Can a family member get paid to care for the veteran?
Sometimes, through Veteran-Directed Care, where the veteran uses a budget to hire their own helpers. That program is managed locally with AgeWays, not by VETTED. Our Veteran-Directed Care page explains how it works and how to ask about it.
What if we need more hours than VA authorizes?
Start by telling the VA social worker. Needs change, and VA can reassess. If the veteran's needs have grown, say so plainly and give examples. We can help you think through what to mention before you call.
Do you provide hospice care?
Not yet. VETTED and Lily Hospice are developing a veteran-led hospice partnership, but it is not accepting patients yet. If someone needs hospice now, please call Lily Hospice directly at (248) 955-5100.
Independent and veteran-owned. VETTED is not part of, and does not speak for, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA alone decides eligibility and authorized hours. Information on this site is general and is not a benefit determination. Page last updated September 24, 2026.