Beginning in late February and ending in early April, Agape Senior conducted 11 seminars in the Tri-County area of South Carolina. These seminars were directed at Veterans and their surviving spouses that had served during a war time era. The benefit we were educating them on is called Aid and Attendance, a little known benefit for war time veterans and their spouses, that will assist with health care costs, especially for those 65 and over.

Aid and Attendance is a benefit that offers monetary assistance for war time veterans, if qualified, for offsetting costs for Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, or Home Helath care. Agape has learned that most veterans have never heard of this benefit, therefore the seminars are generally an educational process. Aid and Attendance qualifications are very specific and strict. There are many aspects of the benefit that are required for qualification of these funds. War time service, assets, monthly income, marriage, divorce, death, and age are all taken into consideration.

The attendees are invited by Agape through the mail to attend these seminars. Agape generally partners with a facility to to hold the event, which allows the facility to showcase their rooms, activities, etc. Veterans are invited by zip code, which limits their travel time to the location. Once the event has ended, Agape offers a sign-up sheet for those attendees that believe they are qualified, or in need of further information. Agape representatives provide a 30 minute one-on-one opportunity at the follow-ups that are usually one week following the original seminar.

From the 11 Aid and Attendance seminars that Agape held in this area, we provided follow-ups for over 100 veterans and their surviving spouses. What we provided was the paperwork for submission, contacts for each county's VA office, and answered questions pertaining to the benefit. During follow-ups, I always inquired if the veteran/surviving spouse had ever heard of the Aid and Attendance VA benefit. 100% of these that came back for follow-ups had NEVER heard of the benefit. Agape provided information for all of these veterans on the benefit that they otherwise may never had even heard of before. Being a source of vital information and education is special.

This is another reason that I feel great about my position as a Senior Solutions Advisor for Agape Senior in the Charleston area.