This blog courtesy of Kyle Laramie, President, and Co-Founder of Veterans Care Coordination, a national organization that assists veterans and spouses in obtaining Aid and Attendance benefit.
Each year on July 4, we honor our founding fathers and their great vision for a country whose citizens could enjoy the freedoms and independence they had previously been deprived. The holiday gives us a chance to reflect on the sacrifices they, as well as the soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, made to allow our great democracy to become a reality.
It is in that spirit, honoring those who have fought for our freedoms as well as helping people to maintain their independence, that Veterans Care Coordination (VCC) was founded. Simply put, our company helps veterans, spouses, surviving spouses, and their families navigate the arduous approval process of acquiring the pension with aid and attendance benefit through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program is a little-known allowance that provides an enhanced pension to pay for in-home assistance and care, allowing older veterans and their spouses to live independently as long as possible.
According to VA statistics, a significant amount of eligible beneficiaries are either unaware of this benefit or do not realize they are eligible to apply. VCC is dedicated to guiding and assisting veterans and their surviving spouses to get the benefits they not only need but have also earned. VCC strives to help this group with the same honor and integrity with which they served our country. VCC also offers interest-free loans in situations where a veteran, spouse, or surviving spouse cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of needed in-home services while waiting for the VA to begin reimbursement. Often without the loan, the veteran or spouse may not be able to access needed services because of their inability to pay. VCC’s unique program alleviates the unnecessary worry, financial burdens, and family hardships a waiting period may cause.
I began VCC in April 2011 with just five employees. VCC now employs more than 30 people on a full-time basis. Our employees are drawn to work at VCC because of our mission. Most of our employees have at least one family member who is a veteran and I am no exception. Each day, I am driven by the memory of my grandfather, Norbert Laramie, a WWII American hero who unnecessarily missed out on essential VA benefits. Our family simply did not know about the resources that were available to assist him in his golden years. And that is my daily motivation – to allow those who served yesterday to benefit today.
If you’d like to learn more about VCC please visit their website at VeteransCareCoordination.com.
If you’re looking for care and think you may qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit, please contact your local Caring Hearts office by calling (866) 721-3499.