eran may continue to use funds under the program during 
a period of hospitalization in the same manner that the 
veteran would be authorized to use such funds under the 
program if the veteran were not hospitalized. 
‘‘(c) HOME MAKER AND HOME HEALTH AIDE PRO-
GRAM.—(1) The Secretary shall carry out a program to 
be known as the ‘Home Maker and Home Health Aide 
program’ under which the Secretary may enter into agree-
ments with home health agencies to provide to eligible vet-
erans such home health aide services as may be deter-
mined appropriate by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) In carrying out the Home Maker and Home 
Health Aide program, the Secretary shall ensure the avail-
ability of such program— 
‘‘(A) in the locations specified in subparagraph 
(B) of subsection (b)(3); and 
‘‘(B) for the veteran populations specified in 
subparagraph (C) of such subsection. 
‘‘(d) HOME BASED PRIMARY CARE PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary shall carry out a program to be known as the 
‘Home Based Primary Care program’ under which the 
Secretary may furnish to eligible veterans in-home health 
care, the provision of which is overseen by a physician of 
the Department. 
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‘‘(e) PURCHASED SKILLED HOME CARE PROGRAM.— 
The Secretary shall carry out a program to be known as 
the ‘Purchased Skilled Home Care program’ under which 
the Secretary may furnish to eligible veterans such in- 
home care services as may be determined appropriate and 
selected by the Secretary for the veteran. 
‘‘(f) CAREGIVER SUPPORT.—(1) With respect to a 
resident caregiver of a veteran participating in a program 
under this section who is a family caregiver, the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(A) if the veteran meets the requirements of 
a covered veteran under section 1720G(b) of this 
title, provide to such caregiver the option of enroll-
ing in the program of general caregiver support serv-
ices under such section; 
‘‘(B) provide to such caregiver not fewer than 
14 days of covered respite care each year; and 
‘‘(C) conduct on an annual basis (and, to the 
extent practicable, in connection with in-person serv-
ices provided under the program in which the vet-
eran is participating), a wellness check of such care-
giver. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall provide not fewer than 30 
days of covered respite care each year to any resident care-
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giver who provides services funded under the Veteran Di-
rected Care program under subsection (b). 
‘‘(3) Covered respite care provided to a resident care-
giver of a veteran under paragraph (1) or (2), as the case 
may be, may exceed 14 days annually or 30 days annually, 
respectively, if such extension is requested by the resident 
caregiver or veteran and determined medically appropriate 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The terms ‘Aging and Disability Resource 
Center’, ‘area agency on aging’, and ‘State agency’ 
have the meanings given those terms in section 102 
of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
3002). 
‘‘(2) The terms ‘caregiver’ and ‘family care-
giver’, with respect to a veteran, have the meanings 
given those terms, respectively, under subsection (e) 
of section 1720G of this title with respect to an eli-
gible veteran under subsection (a) of such section or 
a covered veteran under subsection (b) of such sec-
tion, as the case may be. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘center for independent living’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 702 of 
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 796a). 
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‘‘(4) The term ‘covered respite care’ means, 
with respect to a caregiver of a veteran, respite care 
that— 
‘‘(A) includes 24-hour per day care of the 
veteran commensurate with the care provided 
by the caregiver; 
‘‘(B) is medically and age-appropriate; and 
‘‘(C) includes in-home care. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘eligible veteran’ means any vet-
eran— 
‘‘(A) for whom the Secretary determines 
participation in a specific program under this 
section is medically necessary to promote, pre-
serve, or restore the health of the veteran; and 
‘‘(B) who absent such participation would 
be at increased risk for hospitalization, place-
ment in a nursing home, or emergency room 
care. 
‘‘(6) The term ‘home health agency’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 1861(o) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(o)). 
‘‘(7) The term ‘home health aide’ means an in-
dividual employed by a home health agency to pro-
vide in-home care services. 
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‘‘(8) The term ‘in-home care service’ means any 
service, including a personal care service, provided to 
enable the recipient of such service to live at home. 
‘‘(9) The terms ‘Native American’ and ‘Native 
American veteran’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 3765 of this title. 
‘‘(10) The terms ‘Native Hawaiian’ and ‘Native 
Hawaiian health care system’ have the meanings 
given those terms in section 12 of the Native Hawai-
ian Health Care Improvement Act (42 U.S.C. 
11711). 
‘‘(11) The term ‘resident caregiver’ means a 
caregiver, or a family caregiver, of a veteran who re-
sides with the veteran. 
‘‘(12) The terms ‘tribal health programs’ and 
‘Urban Indian organizations’ have the meanings 
given those terms in section 4 of the Indian Health 
Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).’’. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR IMPROVED ADMINISTRATION.— 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the 
Veteran Directed Care program and the Home Maker and 
Home Health Aide program are administered through 
each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in accordance with section 1720K of title 38, United 
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