This often-overlooked VA pension can add up to roughly $2,900 a month toward senior care. Here's how San Diego County veterans and surviving spouses qualify — and where to get help.
By Marcus Reyes, LSW · April 8, 2026
Aid & Attendance (A&A) is an enhanced VA pension for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or medication management. In 2026, it can add roughly $1,800–$2,900 a month toward assisted living, memory care, in-home care, or nursing care — making it one of the largest private-pay assistance programs available to San Diego veterans.
The VA San Diego Healthcare System — anchored at the La Jolla campus on La Jolla Village Drive — serves the bulk of the county's veteran population, with community-based outpatient clinics in Chula Vista, Oceanside, and other locations. Veterans do not need to use VA care to apply for A&A.
Eligibility generally requires wartime military service (a period including WWII, Korea, Vietnam, or Gulf War), an honorable or general discharge, a medical need for daily assistance, and income and net worth within VA limits (with a look-back period on asset transfers). Surviving spouses of eligible wartime veterans may also qualify, generally at a lower benefit rate.
The rules are detailed and the asset rules changed significantly in 2018, so getting the application right the first time matters. A County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO) can help at no cost.
Start with a San Diego County CVSO — they are located in Chula Vista, El Cajon, Oceanside, and San Diego, and their help is free. You can also work with an accredited VA claims agent or attorney. The County Veterans Service Officer office can be reached through the San Diego County Office of Military and Veterans Affairs.
A free senior advisor familiar with VA-accepting communities can help coordinate the benefit alongside an RCFE placement, so you're not doing both applications blind.
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