Instead of being in a nursing home or rehabilitation center, veterans in North Idaho may soon get the option to stay in a caregiver's home. 

Regional Veterans Affairs officials are looking to start a North Idaho medical foster care program, the first of its kind in the area. 

The medical foster home program currently has more than 700 veterans enrolled across the U.S., with about 500 caregivers.   

As coordinator for the program, Jamie Pillers is actively recruiting caregivers willing to become part of the program in Kootenai County. 

“It is an important initiative that offers an alternative to nursing home care for veterans who need full-time care, but prefer to live in a more personal home-like setting,” Pillers said. 

The regional VA office in Spokane is searching for community support to connect with potential caregivers. 

The program is an alternative to nursing homes for veterans who can no longer live independently but prefer a home setting. Veterans need to be enrolled in services through the hospital. 

Veterans are paired with caregivers in the community willing to open their homes to provide 24-hour supervision and assistance. The veterans will receive comprehensive primary care through the VA’s interdisciplinary team, Home Based Primary Care.   

The program requires caregivers to have previous experience, whether formal or informal and they will need to have a backup respite caregiver. After screenings and background checks, they will undergo training to be certified through the VA and its health care partnerships. 

Caregivers are regulated to host a maximum of three veterans in their home so they can provide focused care. 

A physician, a psychologist and a nurse are part of the home health care services provided to veterans in their home as part of the program.

The medical foster program has been in existence since 1999 as a pilot program, but Pillers noted that it didn’t get much attention until the early 2000s with the Iraq War. 

“A lot of the younger veterans were coming home, but they needed a medical rehabilitation place to go to and they didn’t want to go to a traditional nursing home setting for rehabilitation,” Pillers said. 

When an influx of Vietnam and WWII veterans began needing long-term care, many echoed the wish to not live in a care facility, which led to greater adoption of medical foster care. 

The cost for veterans to live in a medical foster home is significantly lower than traditional care facilities and is paid by the veteran. Costs of the foster home vary and are largely dependent on how much daily assistance is required from caregivers. 

The program is in development or operational at 156 VA sites across 48 states and the VA intends to reach all VA medical centers by 2025. 

Pillers asked for interested parties to reach out to learn more about the program and how they can help North Idaho veterans find “the care they deserve in a safe and supporting environment.” 

For more information about medical foster care for veterans, call 509-230-9357 or email jamie.pillers@va.gov. 

    A veteran interacts with a child at a residence that participates in the Veterans Affairs medical foster care home program.