Veteran-supported adult day care
Respected veteran adult day care in Philadelphia
Penn Village Adult Day Care is a licensed adult day center at 200-220 W. Chelten Avenue in Germantown. Veterans come to us on weekdays for structured activity, hot meals, licensed nursing oversight and the company of other people, then go home to their own beds at night.
We proudly honor those who served by providing safe, supportive and engaging care for veterans and their families. Our program includes personalized care, health monitoring and meaningful activities that foster connection, dignity and purpose.
Our team also helps families navigate the VA benefits process, with guidance on eligibility, paperwork and coordination with the VA, so you receive the full support available to you.
Adult day care for veterans
Veterans deserve high-quality care in an environment that respects their service and meets their changing needs. When veterans attend Penn Village Adult Day Care, they'll be involved with:
Why do veterans choose adult day care?
Most of the families who call us are looking for help for someone they love. Here are the reasons families choose Penn Village for that help.
They can be around other people in their situation.
Veterans who come here can sit with other people from similar backgrounds. They can enjoy conversations, talk about previous experiences, and spend the day with people who are easy to be around. For someone who has been spending most of the week alone, that is often the biggest change.
They have a reason to get up every day.
Retirement and declining mobility take away structure. A day program gives it back: somewhere to be each weekday, people expecting you, and a van at the door in the morning. Families usually tell us the difference shows up first in sleep and appetite.
Nursing staff check on them every day they attend.
Weight loss, a wound that isn't healing, a new tremor, confusion that wasn't there last month... These are the types of things that get caught early, because licensed nurses see your family member every weekday rather than at an appointment three months away.
They can stay living in their own home.
A day program covers the weekday hours that make living alone difficult, and your family member sleeps in their own bed that night. For a veteran, this is usually a big benefit of choosing adult day care.
Families get support throughout the week.
Whoever is caring for this veteran gets help throughout the day and across the week, which gives them time back to take care of themselves too. Many families use those hours to work, rest, or catch up on everything that gets pushed aside.
Take a look
Inside our adult day care center
A 10,000 sq ft, fully accessible single floor in Germantown — with games, crafts, music, a comfortable lounge and a hot meal in the middle of the day.
Using VA benefits for adult day care
Many veterans and their families are unaware that VA benefits may cover adult day care, the same way our Medicaid & waiver program assistance supports non-veteran families. Which benefit applies depends on service history, care needs and which VA programs are available locally, and more than one can sometimes be combined.
Penn Village can help you work out which route fits your family and guide you through the application.
Which VA benefits pay for adult day care?
Aid & Attendance
An increased monthly pension for veterans or surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities, or who are largely confined to home. Because it arrives as monthly income rather than a payment to a provider, families can put it toward adult day care.
Veteran-Directed Care
Gives the veteran a flexible monthly budget and the authority to decide how it is spent, with help from a counselor at the local Area Agency on Aging. Adult day care is one of the services that budget can purchase.
VA Community Care
The VA runs Adult Day Health Care within its geriatrics and extended care services, and in some cases will pay for care delivered in the community. Availability depends on your enrollment priority group and what the Philadelphia VA has arranged locally.
Still not sure which route to take? Give us a call and our team will be happy to walk you through your options.
Does my family member qualify?
Veteran-Directed Care and Community Care work differently: they turn on clinical need and VA enrollment rather than income. So a veteran who is over the income limit for a pension may still have a route.
We are not a VA office and we do not make eligibility determinations. What we can do is tell you which door to knock on first and help you get the paperwork in order.
How to apply, step by step
- Call us and describe the situation.
We will tell you which benefit is most likely to apply and whether a tour makes sense before you file anything. - Gather the documents.
Discharge papers (DD-214), marriage and death certificates where a surviving spouse is applying, and recent medical and financial records. - Get the medical form completed.
For Aid & Attendance this is VA Form 21-2680, the examination for housebound status or permanent need for regular aid and attendance. Your family member's physician fills it out. - File with help, not alone.
An accredited Veterans Service Officer will file the claim for free. County and state VSOs and the major veterans organizations all offer this, and a well-prepared claim moves faster. - Start care while the claim is pending.
Claims can take months. Families often begin attending and pay privately in the meantime, since documented adult day care costs strengthen the claim rather than weakening it.
If you are a surviving spouse
The surviving spouse of a wartime veteran may qualify for Aid & Attendance in their own right. This is one of the most commonly missed benefits we see, because families assume it ended with the veteran, and it often did not.
The service requirement is based on the late veteran's record, while the care need and financial tests are based on yours. You will need the marriage certificate and the veteran's death certificate alongside the discharge papers.
Veterans living with dementia, PTSD or a brain injury
A good part of our veteran membership is here because of something cognitive rather than something physical. The day is built around routine and familiar faces, which is what tends to settle people who are disoriented, easily startled, or struggling to hold a thread.
Memory loss and dementia
A predictable rhythm, staff who do not correct or argue, and quiet space available when a room becomes too much.
PTSD and brain injury
An environment where being around other people who served is part of the point, and where nobody has to explain themselves.
Licensed nursing staff are on site throughout the day, and we coordinate with VA providers where that helps.
What it costs once VA support is applied
Adult day care in the Philadelphia area commonly runs somewhere around $75 to $150 per day as a general market estimate. Rates vary by provider and by what is included, so call us and we will confirm what applies to your family.
What matters more than the daily figure is what it replaces. A day program covers weekday hours with meals, transportation and nursing oversight included, for a fraction of residential care, while your family member keeps living in their own home.
Where a VA benefit applies, it typically reduces what a family pays out of pocket rather than eliminating it.
Take a look around the facility
Take a look around the facility virtually, then come and see it in person.
Once you have toured the facility virtually, give us a call to set up an in-person tour, or fill out the form below.
Questions veteran families ask
Does the VA pay for adult day care?
Sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly. The VA operates Adult Day Health Care and may cover community-based care through Community Care or Veteran-Directed Care. Separately, Aid & Attendance pays additional monthly pension income that families commonly put toward day care. Read the full breakdown →
Do we have to use a VA facility?
Not necessarily. Veteran-Directed Care lets the veteran choose providers with a flexible budget, and Aid & Attendance is income you direct yourself. Community Care can also cover care outside VA facilities where the VA has arranged it. VA Adult Day Health Care vs. community day care →
How long does a claim take?
Months is normal for pension-based claims. Most families start attending and pay privately while the claim is pending, and documented care costs generally help the claim rather than hurting it. How to apply, in full →
Can a surviving spouse still qualify?
Yes. The surviving spouse of a wartime veteran may be eligible for Aid & Attendance based on the veteran's service, with the care and financial tests applied to the spouse. It is frequently overlooked. Aid & Attendance for surviving spouses →
What if my family member has dementia, PTSD or a brain injury?
That describes a good part of our veteran membership. The day is built around routine and familiar faces, which settles people who are disoriented or easily startled, and quiet space is available when a room becomes too much. Veterans with dementia →
Is transportation included?
Yes. Door-to-door transportation is part of the program, with wheelchair-accessible vehicles, across Philadelphia and nearby areas.
What if we are not sure which benefit applies?
That is the usual starting point. Call 267-437-2898 and describe the situation. We will tell you which route is worth pursuing and connect you with an accredited Veterans Service Officer who can file at no cost. If you want to read ahead, start with Aid & Attendance or Veteran-Directed Care.
Ready to learn more?
If you are caring for a veteran and seeking daily support, Penn Village is here to help. Call to speak with a team member about eligibility, enrollment, or to schedule a tour.
Schedule a Tour With Our Staff Today!