Medical Foster Home (MFH) is a new program at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center that offers veterans an alternative to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Medical Foster Home is designed for veterans with a disability due to complex chronic disease or traumatic injury who are no longer able to safely live independently or whose care needs exceed the capabilities of their families.
Veterans pay caregivers directly and the VA provides all of the medical care through the Home Based Primary Care team. The expectation is that this would be a long term commitment where the veteran may live for a few years, often the remainder of his/her life. The individual rates are paid monthly and vary depending on the level of care needed. For example, a veteran who is ambulatory and requires supervision and medication management would pay less for a Medical Foster Home than a veteran who requires total care and may be completely bed bound, or who has skilled sub-acute care needs. Veterans may be eligible for Aid and Attendance in a Medical Foster Home to help defray costs.
Medical Foster Homes are different from assisted living facilities and nursing homes in several aspects: the foster homes are rented or owned by the caregiver and the veteran lives with the caregiver; there are no more than 3 residents in a Medical Foster Home; pets are allowed; it is child friendly; and foster home residents are enrolled in Home Based Primary Care and followed closely by home care teams. Medical Foster Home began as a pilot program in Little Rock, Arkansas with 2 additional programs in Tampa and San Juan. As a result of its impressive success and potential as a long term care option for veterans of all ages, it has expanded to 35 VA facilities. Veterans with disabling polytrauma are also receiving care through Medical Foster Homes.
West Palm Beach currently has 12 homes available. The Medical Foster Homes are located primarily in Wellington, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, the Acreage, Loxahatchee and West Palm Beach. All selected caregivers have cleared FBI background checks and their relief caregivers are also screened.
The MFH Coordinator started offering tours of the Medical Foster Homes to veterans and their families in September. The Medical Foster Homes offer private and semi-private rooms, furnished or unfurnished, 24-hour care and supervision, all meals, laundry service and transportation. All of the foster home caregivers have extensive caregiver training and also receive routine training from the VA. Most of the foster home caregivers have nursing backgrounds.
