14 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021 • HOUSE TO HOME
SAVVY SENIOR
Finding financial assistance for
aging in place improvements
Dear Savvy Senior: Do you know of
any financial assistance programs
that can help seniors with home
improvement projects? I would like
to help my grandparents make a
few modifications to their house so
they can continue living there safely,
but money is tight. — Searching
Grandson
Dear Searching: Yes! There
are a number of financial aid
programs available that can
help seniors with home modifications
and improvement
projects for aging-in-place, but
what’s available to your grandparents
will depend on their
financial situation and where
they live. Here are some different
options to explore.
Medicare Advantage benefits:
While original Medicare
does not typically pay for
home improvements if your
grandparents are enrolled in
a Medicare Advantage (Part C)
plan, it may offer some aid for
modifications based on need.
Contact their Medicare Advantage
provider to see if this is
available.
Medicaid waivers: If your
grandparents are low-income
and eligible for Medicaid, most
states have Medicaid Home
and Community Based Services
waivers that provide financial
assistance to help seniors
avoid nursing homes and
remain living at home. Each
state has different waivers,
eligibility requirements and
benefits. Contact your Medicaid
office (see Medicaid.gov)
for information.
Non-Medicaid government
assistance: Many state governments
and several agencies
within the federal government
have programs that help low-
to moderate-income seniors
who aren’t eligible for Medicaid
with home modifications.
For example, the Department
of Housing and Urban Development
offers HUD Home Improvement
Loans by private
lenders. Contact a HUD-approved
counseling agency (call
800-569-4287) to learn more.
And the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has a Rural Development
program that provides
grants and loans to rural homeowners.
Your local USDA service
center (see offices.sc.egov.
usda.gov) can give you more
information.
Many states also have financial
assistance programs
known as nursing home diversion
programs. These programs,
which may include
grants or loans, or a combination,
helps pay for modifications
that enable the elderly
and disabled to remain living
at home. Modifications covered
typically include accessibility
improvements like wheelchair
ramps, handrails and
grab bars.
To find out if there are programs
in your grandparent’s
area, contact the city or county
housing authority, the local
Area Aging Agency (800-677-
1116) or the state housing finance
agency — see NCSHA.
org/housing-help.
Veteran benefits: If either
of your grandparents is a veteran
with a disability, the VA
provides grants like the SAH,
SHA and HISA grants that will
pay for home modifications.
See benefits.va.gov for details
and eligibility requirements.
Some other VA programs to
inquire about are the “Veteran
Directed Care” program
and “Aid and Attendance or
Housebound Benefits.” Both
programs provide monthly
financial benefits to eligible
veterans that can help pay for
home modifications. To learn
more, visit VA.gov/geriatrics
or call 800-827-1000.
Nonprofit organizations:Depending on where your
grandparents live, they may
also be able to get assistance
in the form of financial aid or
volunteer labor to help with
modifications. One of the most
noteworthy is the organization
Rebuilding Together (RebuildingTogether.
org, 800-473-4229),which offers three programs:Safe at Home, Heroes at Home,and National Rebuilding Day.
Another option is community
building projects, which
provide seniors with volunteer
labor to help them make home
improvements. To search for
projects in your grandparents’area, do a web search containing
the phrase “community
building project” followed by
their “city and state.”
Reverse mortgage: Available
to seniors 62 and older
who own their own home and
are currently living there, a
reverse mortgage will let your
grandparents convert part of
the equity in their home into
cash — which can be used for
home improvements — that
doesn’t have to be paid back
as long as they live there. But
reverse mortgages are expensive
loans, so this should be a
last resort.
For more information on
these and other financial assistance
programs, go to Paying-
ForSeniorCare.com and click
on “Senior Care” followed by
“Home Modifications.”
Send your senior questions
to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443,Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a
contributor to the NBC Today
show and author of “The Savvy
Senior” book.
by JIM MILLER
METRO CREATIVE