A state veterans home is a nursing home owned and run by the state, with VA paying a daily amount toward each eligible veteran’s care. Arkansas’s Department of Veterans Affairs operates two1.
Here’s what each home is, who can get in, and how the bill gets paid.
What a state veterans home is
These homes are run by the state, not VA. That sets them apart from VA Community Living Centers, which VA runs, and from private nursing homes VA pays by contract234. VA pays the state a per diem for eligible veterans, $153.47 a day for nursing home care in fiscal 2027, which helps keep costs down5.
Where they are
| Home | Address | Phone | Licensed beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State Veterans Home at North Little Rock | 2401 John Ashley Drive, North Little Rock 72114 | 501-683-1406 | 96 |
| Arkansas Veterans Home at Fayetteville | 1179 North College Avenue, Fayetteville 72703 | 479-444-7001 | 90 |
Source: Arkansas DHS facility profiles67
DHS lists both as skilled nursing facilities. North Little Rock’s 96 beds are all Medicaid-certified under what DHS calls a Homestyle certification, and Fayetteville’s 90 beds are dual-certified for Medicare and Medicaid67. The Fayetteville home is on North College Avenue, the same street as the Fayetteville VA medical center78.
Who can apply
Federal rules shape every state home: at least 75% of residents must be veterans (more than 50% for a home built or renovated only with state money), and every non-veteran resident must be a veteran’s spouse or a parent whose child died in service94. Applicants need a medical need for nursing home care. ADVA sets its own admission rules within those limits, so ask the home’s admissions office about discharge requirements, Arkansas residency and current waits1.
How the bill gets paid
Residents typically pay with their own income, Aid and Attendance and, when savings fall to $2,000, Arkansas Medicaid10. Ask each home for its current daily rate in writing; Arkansas doesn’t publish a statewide private-pay average.
If a veteran or surviving spouse with no spouse or dependent child is on Medicaid in a Medicaid-approved nursing home, federal law cuts the VA pension to $90 a month, and that $90 belongs to the resident rather than the nursing home11. In Arkansas, that $90 replaces the usual $40 Medicaid personal needs allowance, and full Aid and Attendance isn’t counted toward the bill while the pension is still paid12. Medicare covers only short skilled stays13. See Aid and Attendance in Arkansas nursing homes.
When VA pays the full cost
If a veteran rated 70% or more service-connected needs nursing home care, or needs it because of a service-connected condition, VA can pay the state home a higher prevailing rate meant to cover the full cost14. Ask the admissions office and a VA social worker whether your parent qualifies.
How to apply
- Call admissions. North Little Rock 501-683-1406; Fayetteville 479-444-700167.
- Gather records. DD-214, recent medical records and a physician's statement of need, plus income and insurance information.
- Start the pension claim. Your CVSO can file Aid and Attendance at the same time15.
- Plan for Medicaid. Apply on DCO-0095 or at access.arkansas.gov when savings run low1012.
An Arkansas example
An 86-year-old Vietnam veteran in Springdale needs long-term nursing care after a stroke. His wife calls the Fayetteville home at 479-444-7001, sends his DD-214 and doctor’s records, and asks their Washington County service officer to file Aid and Attendance715. Because he has a wife at home, his pension won’t drop to $90 if he later needs Medicaid, and she can keep up to $162,660 of their resources1110.
Choosing between the two homes
Most families pick the home closer to the people who will visit, since frequent visits matter more than almost anything else in nursing home life. Beyond distance, three differences are worth weighing. Fayetteville’s beds are certified for both Medicare and Medicaid, so a short Medicare-covered rehab stay can happen in the same building as long-term care; North Little Rock’s beds are listed as Medicaid beds76. Each home is near a VA medical center, which helps with specialist appointments178. And waits differ, so ask both homes, and put your name on both lists if either would work.
Questions to ask on a tour
- How long is the wait? And can you be on both homes' lists?
- What therapy is offered? Physical, occupational and speech, and how often.
- How are care plans reviewed with families? And how are concerns handled?
- What's the bed-hold policy? For hospital stays.
Mistakes to avoid
- Calling only one home. Apply to both if either would work.
- Skipping Aid and Attendance. It can cover much of the private-pay rate18.
- Gifting money first. Medicaid looks back five years19.
For discharge rules, see state veterans home discharge rights. Compare private options in Arkansas nursing homes.