Independence Program: Continuous Care Services

Independence Program Continuous Care Services are available to any WWP-registered warrior currently enrolled in the Independence Program and helps support the warrior to remain in a setting with as much independence as possible. It will assist with care needs in the event of the warrior’s separation from his or her caregiver, by reason of the caregiver’s death, disability, or other reasons; with the goal to empower each warrior to live as independently as possible with the greatest quality of life.

Once a warrior loses his or her caregiver, Independence Program Continuous Care Services can provide supplemental support for housing, home health aide, and, if desired, private long-term care. The goal of Independence Program Continuous Care Services is to maintain the highest level of independence for the warrior; as this will vary from warrior to warrior, the specific allocation of resources will also vary.

Warriors and caregivers will receive a variety of planning services — warrior care planning, benefits assessment and optimization, legal planning, and financial planning — as an introduction to Independence Program Continuous Care Services. If a warrior's circumstances change over time, the WWP team will help get the warrior and caregiver get their planning services updated as needed.

Warriors are strongly encouraged to meet with the planning specialists for each of the provided services, as they can assist with validating and revising existing plans, as well as sharing the benefits of participating in the planning services. The partners providing these services are trained to work together to build an integrated plan and can achieve the best outcome when you participate in each component of Independence Program Continuous Care Services. As with all WWP programs and services, these services are available at no cost to warriors and caregivers.

If conditions change over time and potentially impact existing plans, warriors and caregivers should notify their case manager and Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist. These contacts can assist with determining the next steps for refreshing or updating the latest plans.

All warriors and primary caregivers that are currently enrolled in the Independence Program can qualify for Independence Program Continuous Care Services.

No, all Independence Program Continuous Care Services offerings are at no cost to warriors and their families. Through the course of planning, you may identify certain services you would like to pursue that are above and beyond the planning services and which may come at a cost. In any of these cases, the options and costs will be made explicit to the warrior. If you have a question or concern, please contact your Independence Program specialist or Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist for assistance.

If you are interested in receiving the Warrior Care Planning service, you should reach out to your case manager, Independence Program specialist or Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist contacts for program information and eligibility. From there, you may be prompted to have a live discussion with your Independence Program Continuous Care specialist to provide additional context on your situation. At this time, you will be asked to provide your latest medical files, downloaded from My HealtheVet. To best prepare for your visit, information regarding current medications, lists of durable medical equipment, and details on current providers/services will be requested. In approximately one week, you will have an introductory session with your Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist and a Warrior Care Planner. From there, you will provide your availability and work with the Warrior Care Planner to schedule an in-home assessment, when the care planner will learn more about your situation. Finally, after one to two weeks, the care planner will request time to share the latest Warrior Care Plan via phone with you.

Updated medical records from My HealtheVet should be provided to the WWP Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist. All other information will be collected in the initial discussion with the Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist or in the in-home assessment with the care planner.

You will be prompted to go through the benefits assessment process in conjunction with the Warrior Care Plan to determine opportunities to further your VA disability compensation, ancillary benefits, or DoD entitlements.

If it is determined that your benefits are already maximized, your Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist will let you know. In the event there may be further benefits to claim, you will have an introductory session with your Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist and an accredited WWP National Service Officer. The National Service Officer will work with you to understand potential gaps in benefits coverage. They all request time to share the outcomes of the benefits case assessment, discuss feasibility of attaining any specific goals, and align on the next steps.

After engaging with the benefits staff during the introductory call, you will be contacted by your Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist to provide additional information, allowing an accredited WWP National Service Officer to complete the assessment.

You will be prompted to go through the legal services and estate plan process after both the Warrior Care Plan and the benefits assessment are complete. The process will begin with an introductory session with your Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist and a qualified attorney. At that time, the attorney will also reach out to schedule a follow-up planning session in order to collect any additional information and relevant paperwork, such as an engagement agreement. Generally, within a few weeks, the attorney will establish a time to discuss the recommended estate plan and legal services to implement the plan, as well as next steps.

After the introductory call, you will be asked to provide information and legal documents related to caregiving responsibilities, legal representation, and asset protection.

You will be prompted to go through the financial plan process after the Warrior Care Plan and benefits assessment are complete. The financial plan will generally happen after the legal and estate planning services have begun but are not yet complete to allow the teams to develop a comprehensive plan. The process will begin with an introductory session with your Independence Program Continuous Care Services specialist and a qualified financial planning specialist. Over the following weeks, you will coordinate with the financial planning specialist for two additional in-person sessions to collect any additional information and relevant paperwork. Finally, after a few weeks, the financial planning specialist will request time to share your final financial plan and discuss next steps.

After engaging for the introductory call, you will be prompted to provide information relating to your financial situation.

Independence Program Continuous Care Services also helps support caregivers by providing peace of mind that their warrior will continue to receive the care they need and be able to live as independently as possible in the event of the warrior’s separation from his or her caregiver due to the caregiver’s death, disability, or other reasons.