VA, Independent Living teaming up for veteran-directed care in 8 WNY counties

A partner of the Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMC) in Buffalo and Batavia, Western New York Independent Living, Inc. received the sole contract for Veteran Directed Care (VDC) with the VA. While the Veteran Directed Care model is new to Western New York (WNY), it has demonstrated success in self-directed care by veterans across the nation. VA Medical Centers partner with non-profit Independent Living Centers to empower Veterans to employ their own aides (often already being provided by family members). A focus of this program is to reach the underserved rural parts of WNY where veterans face provider shortages, geographic and distance barriers, limited broadband coverage which impairs their ability to participate in telehealth, and social determinants of health relative to rural living experiences (i.e., access to transportation, employment).