State to Hire Veterans Benefits Advisors for Nursing Home and Assisted Living Veterans

LeadingAge NY is pleased to report that Governor Cuomo has announced a new pilot program to help connect veterans in nursing homes and assisted living facilities with benefits, programs, and services earned as a result of their military service. The New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs will hire Veterans Benefits Advisors to exclusively assist veterans in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, including the Veterans Homes. Advisors will be dispatched directly to skilled nursing facilities and provide enhanced outreach to veterans where they live. The advisors will be accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and will advocate free of charge for veterans in claims and appeals for disability compensation, non-service-connected pension, and other benefits, programs, and services.

LeadingAge NY has long been advocating for improvements in the application process for veterans' benefits. Long wait times and other snags in the process have made it difficult for veterans to pay for the services they need, when they need them. Many LeadingAge NY members have helped veterans by subsidizing their care while awaiting the application process, at great cost. We applaud Governor Cuomo for taking the initiative to help address these challenges and ensure that veterans get the benefits they have earned in a timely fashion. LeadingAge NY will be meeting with the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs to provide them with ideas about how best to utilize these advisors to address the challenges that exist and maximize their impact. We invite members to share your suggestions for this discussion.

For more information about this initiative, click here.

Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828