VA-Approved In-Home Care for Veterans

Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia

VA-Approved In-Home Nursing & Personal Care Services 

Get Specialty Care Service’s VA-approved in-home nursing and personal care - we guide you with a 4-step process to secure VA-paid services so you can focus on your health and happiness at home, not paperwork. 

If you’re a Veteran or family caregiver in Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia, you can get in-home nursing and personal care from a VA-approved contracted agency! This page explains:

• Who We Serve 
• What Care We Provide (And What’s Covered) 
• How You Can Get VA-Paid Home Care – 4 Step Process 
• What Areas We Serve – And Why 
• Insurance, Copays, and Costs 
• Our Process (Step-by-Step List) 
• Common Terms 

Who We Serve 

• Veterans who want to live safely at home but need help with daily activities (bathing, dressing, meals, mobility) or in-home skilled nursing. [1] 
• Post-hospital or rehab transitions, where in-home nursing and home health improve recovery times and decrease the risk of readmissions. 
• Homebound Veterans who benefit from a VA care team visiting the home. [2] 
• Veteran Respite Care for family members, providing structured support from the VA’s Caregiver Support Program. [3] 

What Health Conditions Could Lead to a Veteran Needing In-Home Care 

• Chronic Medical Conditions 
• Heart failure 
• COPD 
• Diabetes 
• Neuropathy 
• Chronic Kidney Disease 
• Severe Hypertension 
• Neurological Conditions affecting mobility, swallowing, speech, or essential ADLs 
• Strokes 
• Parkinson’s 
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) 
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) 
• Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders 
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 
• Dementia/Alzheimer’s or other cognitive disorders 
• Geriatric Symptoms, Serious Illness or Frailty [4] 
• Delirium History 
• Recurrent falls, dizziness, or vestibular disorders 
• Musculoskeletal & Functional Conditions 
• Osteoarthritis 
• Chronic Lower Back Pain 
• Osteoporosis with fractures 
• Limb Loss or Amputations 
• Family caregiver strain, where VA Respite Care and Caregiver Support can keep the Veteran safely at home. [5] 

Specialty Care Services is one of the contracted agencies the VA recommends for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), so you can receive personal care, skilled nursing care, and caregiver support through us. [6] 

What Care We Provide (And What’s Covered) 

Types of care offered by the VA: 

• Homemaker/Home Health Aide (H/HHA) – hands-on personal care (ADLs), light homemaker tasks; ordered by VA; delivered by VA-contracted agencies like us. Copays may apply based on your service-connected status/priority group. [7] 
• Skilled Home Health Care – intermittent skilled nursing, PT, OT, speech therapy, wound care, IVs; typically short-term or transitional. [8] 
• Respite Care – short-term, planned relief for family caregivers that can be delivered at home. [9] 

On the East Coast of the United States, the VA uses the Community Care Network (CCN) Region 1. [9] 

How You Can Get VA-Paid Home Care With Specialty Care Services – 4 Step Process 

1. Confirm enrollment or apply for VA care 

• Enroll at a VA office near you: 
• Washington, DC, VA Medical Center (regional hub) – 50 Irving St NW, Washington, DC 20422. [10] 
• Montgomery County VA Clinic (Gaithersburg) – 15810 Gaither Dr, Suite 130, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. [11] 
• Southern Prince George’s County VA Clinic (Camp Springs/Clinton) – 8911 Woodyard Rd, Clinton, MD 20735. [12] 
• Fort Belvoir, VA Clinic (inside Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center) – 9300 Dewitt Loop, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060. [13] 
• Vet Centers (non-medical counseling): Silver Spring; Prince George’s County (Clinton); Alexandria. [14] 

2. Tell your VA primary care provider or social worker what you need 

• Ask for the specific program that matches your needs: 
• Homemaker/Home Health Aide (H/HHA) – Personal home care for helping you at home 
• Skilled Home Health – in-home nursing & clinical care for specific medical needs 
• Respite Care – short-term relief 
• Use this as an example of what to tell them:
• “Please place a (Homemaker, Skilled Home Health, or Respite Care) consult for me with Specialty Care Services as my preferred community provider. Specialty Care Services is one of the local VA-approved contracted agencies. Thank you.” 

3. The VA authorizes care 

• The VA will contact us; you don’t need to do any work for this. 

4. We accept the referral and start care 

What Areas We Serve – And Why 

We serve Veterans across Montgomery County, MD, Prince George’s County, MD, Howard County, MD, Frederick County, MD, Washington, DC, Fairfax County, VA, and Arlington County, VA. These areas are densely populated with veterans: 

• Montgomery County, MD: 33,670 Veterans [15] 
• Prince George’s County, MD: 51,340 Veterans [16] 
• Howard County, MD: 15,628 Veterans [17] 
• Frederick County, MD: 15,971 Veterans [18] 
• District of Columbia: 21,750 Veterans [19] 
• Fairfax County, VA: 67,614 Veterans [20] 
• Arlington County, VA: 11,924 Veterans [21] 

Across the DC metro area, between 12-18% of residents are seniors (65+ years old), [22] meaning that there are about 39,000 senior veterans in the areas that Specialty Care Services serves. These senior veterans are more likely to require life-saving healthcare that in-home nursing and home care can provide. 

Why Choose In-Home Care vs. Outpatient Clinical Care? 

• Less traveling and more comfortable care. Skilled nursing and therapy come to you for wound care, medication management & administration, disability care, chronic illness care, and more. 
• Goal-driven home care. Personal care services help with bathing, grooming, dressing, meal preparation & feeding assistance, errand services & shopping assistance, community integration support, and more, so you can live at home with dignity. 
• Family caregiver relief. Planned Respite care prevents burnout, so families can continue providing care longer term. [23] 

Insurance, Copays, and Costs 

• VA-paid community care requires prior authorization from your VA team, as explained above. We cooperate with CCN processes to keep approvals simple and active. 
• Copays: Some services (like Home Health Aides) may have copays. VA’s copay pages and long-term care guidance explain these rules. [24] 
• If you choose private-pay, National medians (2024) run $33–$34/hr for homemaker/home health aide; DC rates trend higher (2024 DC release cites $86,944/yr). This context helps families understand the value of leveraging VA coverage when eligible. [25] 

Common Terms For VA-Approved Veteran Home Care 

Here are some of the most common terms that veterans (and their families) might search to find VA-covered home care:

• Core services: Home care for veterans; veterans' home care; veterans in-home care; VA home care / VA home health care; veteran senior care at home; veteran personal care at home (ADLs). 
• Service-type specifics: VA Homemaker & Home Health Aide (H/HHA), Skilled Home Health Care, VA Respite Care at home, and Aid and Attendance. 
• Provider language: VA-approved home care provider; VA-contracted home care; Veterans home health agency; VA Community Care home health (CCN); VA caregiver support services; state veterans home care. 

Sources 

1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Home and Community-Based Services. 
   https://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/pages/Home_and_Community_Based_Services.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Home-Based Primary Care. 
   https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Home_Based_Primary_Care.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Caregiver Support Program. 
   https://www.caregiver.va.gov/ 
   Accessed August 2025. 
4. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Geriatrics and Extended Care: Frail Elderly. 
   https://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/pages/Frail_Elderly.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
5. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Respite Care. 
   https://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/pages/Respite_Care.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
6. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Community Care Network. 
   https://www.va.gov/communitycare/programs/veterans/CCN.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
7. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care. 
   https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Homemaker_Home_Health_Aide_Care.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
8. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Skilled Home Health Care Services. 
   https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Skilled_Home_Health_Care_Services.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
9. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Respite Care Services. 
   https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Respite_Care.asp 
   Accessed August 2025. 
10. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Washington DC VA Medical Center. 
    https://www.va.gov/washington-dc-health-care/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
11. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Gaithersburg VA Clinic. 
    https://www.va.gov/washington-dc-health-care/locations/gaithersburg-va-clinic/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
12. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Southern Prince George’s County VA Clinic. 
    https://www.va.gov/washington-dc-health-care/locations/southern-prince-georges-county-va-clinic/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
13. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Fort Belvoir VA Clinic. 
    https://www.va.gov/washington-dc-health-care/locations/fort-belvoir-va-clinic/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
14. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Vet Centers. 
    https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
15. U.S. Census Bureau – Veteran Status, Montgomery County MD. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
16. U.S. Census Bureau – Veteran Status, Prince George’s County MD. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
17. U.S. Census Bureau – Veteran Status, Howard County MD. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
18. U.S. Census Bureau – Veteran Status, Frederick County MD. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
19. USAFacts – District of Columbia Veterans. 
    https://usafacts.org/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
20. U.S. Census Bureau – Veteran Status, Fairfax County VA. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
21. U.S. Census Bureau – Veteran Status, Arlington County VA. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
22. U.S. Census Bureau – Age and Sex: DC Metro Area. 
    https://data.census.gov/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
23. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Respite Care for Family Caregivers. 
    https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Respite_Care.asp 
    Accessed August 2025. 
24. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Copays and Long-Term Care. 
    https://www.va.gov/health-care/copay-rates/ 
    Accessed August 2025. 
25. Genworth – Cost of Care Survey 2024. 
    https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care.html 
    Accessed August 2025.