Free Cleaning Services or Housekeeping Help for the Disabled

The information in this article is current as of March 3, 2022.

Keeping the house clean and presentable can be exhausting for anyone, regardless of age or physical capabilities. It can be draining and tiring for some. For example, a 150-pound person can burn 170-200 calories per hour doing light cleaning such as dusting and tidying up. In addition, side effects from medications or physical limitations can make it nearly impossible for some folks to take care of household chores and run errands.

If you or your loved ones are asking, “Are there free or affordable cleaning or housekeeping services available for the disabled, vets, elderly, or seniors?” The short answer is yes, it’s possible to find free or cheap house cleaning services. This article covers a variety of resources and tips to hopefully help connect you with the assistance you’re looking for.

Work Your Network

Before making calls, visiting websites, and filling out forms, start with your friends, family, neighbors, and community. No one should ever feel shame in asking for help. If friends and family are unavailable to assist with cleaning or errands, perhaps a local church or community can help.

Your town or city most likely can reach out to volunteers or organizations that can assist with light housekeeping, yard work, or errand running. In addition, many college scholarships and grants allow students to perform volunteer hours to help fund their college education.

For example, Florida high school students can complete community service hours for local nonprofits to meet the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program’s eligibility requirements. In addition, California recently launched its #CaliforniansForAll program, the most significant state-level investment in a service-based college opportunity program in California history.   

Free Cleaning Services for Disabled Seniors

An Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is a public or private nonprofit agency designated by the state to address the needs and concerns of all older persons at the regional and local levels. The goal of your local AAA is to enable seniors to reside comfortably in their own homes. Aids may be able to help with light cleaning and other housekeeping tasks. In addition, AAAs can provide homemaker assistance, Meals on Wheels, and additional services to help seniors live independently.

Government Programs That Pay Family Members to Help You Clean 

Several government programs let people with disabilities or veterans hire members of their families, close friends, or other trusted individuals to help care for them. For example, caregivers can help those with medical needs cook, grocery shop, clean the house, and administer medication.

These programs consist of:

• The Medicaid Self-Directed Care program – qualified individuals can manage their health services depending on the state. They may be able to hire family members as caregivers.

• The Veteran-Directed Home and Community-Based Services program – veterans are given a flexible budget allowing them to select valuable goods and services such as hiring a family member or friend as a personal care aide.

• Aid and Attendance benefits for veterans – along with a VA pension, can help cover caregiver costs. Contact your local VA pension management center for more info. 

Free Cleaning Services for Disabled Veterans

It can be challenging for disabled and elderly veterans to clean their homes or to afford a professional cleaning service. However, special pensions and VA benefits may provide free cleaning services for the disabled veterans in need of help.

VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound Benefits 

Suppose you’re a veteran who finds it difficult to care for yourself due to a service-connected disability. In that case, you may be eligible for special monthly compensation or benefits.

As a senior vet and/or survivor, you can receive VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits depending on your pension and eligibility. However, you can’t get both the Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits simultaneously.

VA Aid and Attendance Eligibility

You may be eligible for VA Aid and Attendance benefits if you receive a VA pension and meet at least one of these requirements:

• You need someone to help with daily activities, like feeding, bathing, and dressing, or
• You need to stay in bed most of the day due to illness, or
• You reside in a nursing home with a disability-related loss of mental or physical abilities.
• Even with corrective lenses, you have limited eyesight; you have 5/200 or less in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

Housebound Benefits Eligibility

Spend most of your time at home due to a permanent disability and receive a VA pension? Then, you may be eligible for housebound benefits.

Code of Support Foundation 

In 2011, the Code of Support Foundation helped service members, veterans, and families find and access critical services. In addition, PATRIOTlink connects veterans and caregivers to various professional resources.

Project Evergreen

Launched in 2006, Project Evergreen’s GreenCare for Troops™ offers free landscaping and yardwork services to post 9/11 service-connected wounded or disabled veterans.

GreenCare for Troops (sponsored by The Toro Company and Nufarm) has provided an estimated $10 million in donated lawn and landscape services to military families across the country.

SnowCare for Troops™ (sponsored by BOSS) helps with snow and ice removal.  

Food or Meal Delivery Services 

Yes, grocery shopping and preparing meals aren’t the same as cleaning, but they’re chores, nonetheless. It’s good to know that vets, elderly, and disabled Americans who cannot visit the grocery store or prepare meals for themselves have options.

Meals on Wheels 

Meals on Wheels supports senior neighbors by delivering nourishment to those living independently. The program began in Philadelphia back in 1954. Today, Meals on Wheels is one of America’s most significant and most impactful social movements.

The Meals on Wheels program assists nearly 2.4 million seniors yearly in virtually every community in the country through its network of 5,000+ independently-run local programs. To find your nearest location visit the Meals on Wheels website and enter your zip code.

Buying Groceries Online With SNAP

If you receive SNAP benefits, you may be able to purchase groceries online with an EBT card through the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot.

According to the website, stores like Walmart and Kroger participate. Only eligible food items may be purchased with SNAP benefits. You can’t use your benefits to cover delivery fees or other charges.

Save Money on Your Wireless Phone Service

Did you know that you may also qualify for Lifeline service if you qualify for federal benefits such as SNAP? Lifeline is a federal benefit program that allows low-income consumers to receive free or heavily discounted communication services. Click here to find out more and apply for this valuable benefit.

Get a Tablet for $10.01

Now for a limited time, get an 8″ tablet for just $10.01 when you qualify and sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Once you’re approved for the program, you’ll receive a separate email to unlock your one-time discount on a brand-new tablet.

Click here to get started!