For many families in Holladay and across Salt Lake County, the hardest part of choosing assisted living isn’t finding the right home — it’s figuring out how to pay for it. The New Choices Waiver is one well-known option in Utah, but it isn’t the only one. If your loved one is a military veteran, or if they planned ahead with a long-term care insurance policy, there may be additional resources you haven’t fully explored.
At our small, family-owned assisted living home in Holladay, we walk families through these questions every week. Here’s a warm, plain-language overview of two funding paths that often get overlooked: VA benefits and long-term care insurance.
VA Benefits: The Aid & Attendance Program
Many veterans and surviving spouses don’t realize that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a benefit specifically designed to help with the cost of long-term care. It’s called Aid and Attendance, and it’s added on top of a qualifying VA pension.
Aid and Attendance is intended for veterans (or their surviving spouses) who need help with everyday activities such as bathing, dressing, medication management, or mobility — exactly the kind of support a residential assisted living home provides. In general terms, eligibility considers factors such as:
- Wartime service: The veteran typically served at least 90 days of active duty, with at least one day during a recognized wartime period.
- Care needs: The applicant requires assistance with daily activities or has certain qualifying conditions.
- Income and assets: The VA reviews household income and net worth against published limits, with care expenses often factored in.
Because the rules and dollar amounts are updated periodically and every family’s situation is different, we always encourage families to confirm current eligibility and benefit levels directly with the VA or an accredited Veterans Service Officer. Utah has excellent resources, including the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, which can help you start an application at no cost.
Long-Term Care Insurance: Putting a Policy to Work
If your parent or spouse purchased a long-term care insurance policy years ago, now may be the moment it was meant for. These policies are designed to help cover services that standard health insurance and Medicare generally do not — including assisted living, in-home care, and memory care.
Every policy is written differently, so the details matter. When you’re reviewing coverage, look closely for:
- Benefit triggers: Most policies begin paying once the person needs help with a set number of “activities of daily living” (like bathing, dressing, or eating) or has a cognitive impairment.
- Elimination period: This is the waiting period — often 30, 60, or 90 days — before benefits kick in.
- Daily or monthly benefit amount: Policies pay up to a set limit, which may or may not keep pace with today’s costs.
- Covered settings: Confirm the policy specifically covers residential assisted living, not just nursing homes.
Filing a claim usually involves a doctor’s assessment and some paperwork from the care provider. As a small home, we’re happy to help supply the documentation an insurer typically requests, so your family isn’t navigating the process alone.
How These Options Fit Together
One of the most common questions we hear from Salt Lake County families is whether they have to choose just one funding source. Often, the answer is no. Families frequently combine resources — for example, using a long-term care insurance benefit alongside personal savings, or exploring VA Aid and Attendance in addition to other support.
The key is to look at the full picture early. A few gentle starting points:
- Gather the paperwork. Locate any insurance policies, military discharge papers (DD-214), and a summary of income and assets.
- Talk to the experts. An accredited Veterans Service Officer or an elder law attorney can help you understand what your loved one qualifies for.
- Ask the home directly. A good assisted living home should be transparent about costs and willing to help you coordinate benefits.
A Note on Honesty and Care
We believe families deserve straight answers about money, not sales pressure. Funding long-term care in Utah can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to untangle it by yourself. Whether the New Choices Waiver, VA benefits, long-term care insurance, or a combination turns out to be the right fit, our goal is simply to help your loved one land somewhere that truly feels like home.
Come See Us in Holladay
If you’re weighing your options and want to talk through both the care and the cost, we’d love to meet you. Visit us, meet the people who would care for your loved one, and ask every question on your mind — including the financial ones.
Schedule a tour or call us directly at (801) 277-8371. When you call, you’ll reach someone who actually knows our residents — not a call center.
