Help with grab bars, handrails, bathroom adaptations, ramps and other changes to support independence at home.
A grab bar beside the shower, a second handrail on the stairs or a ramp at the entrance can make everyday life safer and more manageable. These changes become especially important when illness, injury or surgery affects someone’s mobility.
Financial assistance is available to help eligible Canadian veterans pay for equipment, installation and home adaptations. There are also programs for spouses, caregivers and surviving family members. What you qualify for depends on the program, your circumstances and the support you need.
This guide explains the main veterans’ benefits, additional assistance available in Ontario and how to get started.
Start with what you need at home
You don’t need to understand every government program before asking for help. Start with what has become difficult: getting into the shower, standing up from the toilet, managing the stairs or getting through the front door.
If you are helping a parent or partner, write down those difficulties together. This gives the conversation with Veterans Affairs Canada, a healthcare professional or an installer a useful starting point.
A few first steps can make the process easier:
- Ask Veterans Affairs Canada to review your current needs. Call 1-866-522-2122 or send a message through My VAC Account. Explain what has changed and ask about equipment, home adaptations and support at home.
- Speak with your healthcare team. If you are preparing for surgery or coming home from hospital, raise your concerns with the occupational therapist, discharge planner or other professional involved in your care. Ask what should be in place before you return home.
- Get help navigating the benefits. A Royal Canadian Legion service officer can help you explore assistance and applications. You do not need to be a Legion member.
- Get a quote before committing to work. A written description of the equipment and installation costs helps the funding organization assess your request. Confirm any approval requirements before purchasing or booking.
It is worth asking even if you have never used veterans’ benefits before, or if the support you received in the past no longer meets your needs. A spouse or surviving family member should also ask about their own eligibility, since some programs provide assistance directly to families.
Talk to Good Company about the work
If you are in Toronto, North York, Etobicoke, Vaughan or Richmond Hill, Good Company can help you plan the installation work, provide an itemized quote and work with recommendations from your occupational therapist or other healthcare professional.
Email jesse@goodcompanyhome.com with a brief description of what you need. Photos of the stairs, bathroom or entrance are a helpful starting point. Let us know if you are working toward a hospital discharge date or applying for funding.
The guide below explains the main programs and links directly to the organizations that administer them. You can start with the section closest to your situation.
What equipment and home changes does Veterans Affairs Canada cover?
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) funds equipment and adaptations that support independence at home. These include grab bars, stair handrails, bathroom aids, ramps and changes needed to use mobility equipment.
| Equipment or home change | Funding to ask about |
|---|---|
| Grab bars and bathroom supports | Treatment Benefits for bathroom aids or Veterans Independence Program home adaptations. Confirm coverage for both the product and installation. |
| Stair handrails and a second railing | Veterans Independence Program safety alterations, which explicitly include handrails on stairways. |
| Toilet supports, raised toilet seats and bathing aids | Treatment Benefits for aids for daily living. |
| Ramps, stair lifts and wider doorways | Home adaptation and special equipment benefits, depending on the work required. |
| Changes needed to use a wheelchair or transfer equipment | Treatment Benefits for equipment and associated home adaptations. |
VAC determines coverage based on your eligibility and assessed needs. Before purchasing equipment or booking work, confirm which benefit applies and whether approval is required.
The VAC Programs of Choice overview explains the benefit categories. The Benefit Grid provides requirements and limits for specific items.
The Veterans Independence Program: help with adaptations and everyday support
The Veterans Independence Program (VIP) helps eligible veterans remain independent in their homes. It provides assistance with home adaptations and services such as housekeeping, grounds maintenance, personal care and professional support.
Home adaptations address difficulties with everyday activities, including bathing, using the toilet and moving around the home. VAC’s Benefits at Home policy specifically identifies grab bars, stair handrails, shower seats, ramps and doorway widening.
For 2026, VAC publishes a standard home adaptation maximum of $7,883.78. The limit applies per eligible person, per principal residence. It is not a fresh renovation allowance every year. Ask VAC to confirm your available entitlement, including any previous funding for the residence. The amount appears in the 2026 maximum rates table, with the residence-specific rule set out in the Veterans Health Care Regulations.
Eligibility depends on your circumstances and assessed needs. The VIP application page identifies several routes, including qualifying for a VAC disability benefit or the War Veterans Allowance.
Treatment Benefits: another route for bathroom aids and equipment
VAC’s Treatment Benefits Program covers a range of healthcare services, assistive devices and special equipment for eligible veterans.
The Aids for Daily Living category includes grab bars, raised toilet seats and bathtub rails. VAC’s policy for daily living aids also identifies hand-held showers, bath chairs and transfer aids.
Other categories cover equipment such as lifts and mobility devices, along with certain home adaptations needed to use that equipment.
The distinction between Treatment Benefits and VIP matters because the approval process and funding rules differ. When a veteran qualifies for home adaptations under both programs, VAC considers Treatment Benefits first.
Before buying equipment, ask VAC or its claims administrator, Medavie Blue Cross, to confirm:
- The product and installation costs covered.
- Any prescription or professional recommendation required.
- Whether preauthorization is necessary.
- Whether the provider can bill directly or you must pay and submit a claim.
A VAC healthcare card identifies your access to benefits, but the particular item still needs to meet your coverage requirements. Use the Benefit Grid to check the item and province.
Does funding cover bathroom renovations, ramps and larger projects?
Funding extends beyond individual grab bars and bathroom aids. VAC considers larger adaptations where they address an eligible veteran’s functional needs.
Examples include widening a doorway, installing a ramp or changing a bathroom to make essential activities accessible. The work must fit the applicable program’s criteria. An accessibility need does not automatically justify every part of a proposed renovation.
An occupational therapist can help identify the changes needed for bathing, toileting, transfers and movement through the home. A contractor can then provide a quote for carrying out those recommendations.
For example, the practical solution to difficulty getting into a bathtub could involve bathing equipment, a tub access modification or a different shower arrangement. The appropriate choice depends on the person, the bathroom and the funding rules.
VAC’s equipment and home adaptation policy explains how adaptations associated with equipment are assessed.
Help after surgery, illness or injury
Coming home from hospital often means managing stairs, bathing and using the toilet with less strength or mobility than before. Getting the right equipment and support in place is an important part of preparing for discharge.
Tell your discharge team and VAC about these needs early. Ask what equipment is recommended, how long you are expected to need it and whether an assessment at home is appropriate.
Temporary recovery needs and lasting accessibility needs are treated differently. For example, VAC’s POC 13 home adaptation provisions exclude adaptations for temporary daily-living needs. Equipment and home support have their own eligibility rules, so ask about those separately.
Whether a condition must be related to military service also depends on your coverage. Explain your current situation and ask VAC to assess the benefits available to you.
In Ontario, Ontario Health atHome assesses eligibility for publicly funded home care and connects people with appropriate services. Its therapy and rehabilitation services include assessment, equipment guidance and assistance with funding applications. Call 1-833-515-1234 to get started.
Serving Canadian Armed Forces members have a separate Home Modifications Benefit. Contact your CAF health services clinic and transition centre before committing to modifications.
What benefits are available to spouses, caregivers and surviving family members?
Family members often organize the practical work of making a home accessible. They speak with healthcare professionals, arrange quotes and help with applications.
There are benefits specifically for caregivers and survivors, but their coverage differs from the veteran’s own entitlement.
Help at home for caregivers and survivors
VIP for primary caregivers provides housekeeping and grounds maintenance assistance to qualifying unpaid caregivers after a veteran enters long-term care or dies. Eligibility includes conditions concerning the veteran’s benefits, the caregiver’s residence and their health-related needs.
A separate VIP survivors program applies in specified Second World War and Korean War circumstances.
These caregiver and survivor VIP benefits do not include home adaptations. A surviving spouse who needs grab bars, a ramp or bathroom changes should also investigate the general accessibility and financial assistance programs described below.
Support for ongoing care
The Caregiver Recognition Benefit provides a tax-free monthly payment to a qualifying unpaid caregiver supporting a veteran with substantial ongoing care needs.
The Attendance Allowance supports qualifying disability pensioners and recipients of Prisoner of War compensation who are totally disabled and need assistance with daily activities.
These benefits support care rather than providing a dedicated renovation allowance.
The Office of the Veterans Ombud’s Survivors Resource Guide explains the broader benefits available to surviving spouses and common-law partners.
Additional funding for Ontario veterans and their families
Ontario Soldiers’ Aid Commission
The Soldiers’ Aid Commission provides up to $3,000 in a 12-month period to eligible Ontario veterans and family members in financial need.
Eligible expenses include home repairs, health-related items and specialized equipment. Spouses, surviving spouses and certain dependent children qualify under the program’s family eligibility rules.
Applications go through VAC or the Royal Canadian Legion. A service officer can help identify other available assistance and assemble the documents needed for your application, including a quote for the proposed expense.
Royal Canadian Legion assistance
The Royal Canadian Legion’s financial assistance program helps eligible veterans and dependants facing financial hardship. Assistance includes essential home repairs and medical equipment.
Accessibility modifications for veterans with disabilities are also an identified use of Poppy Trust Funds. Awards depend on individual circumstances and approval.
Legion veterans’ services are free. You do not need to be a Legion member to receive assistance.
Ontario Home and Vehicle Modification Program
Ontario’s Home and Vehicle Modification Program, administered by March of Dimes Canada, supports people with disabilities that substantially restrict mobility and daily activities.
The program lists a $15,000 lifetime maximum for home modifications, adaptations and devices. Veterans and family members apply under the same disability and financial eligibility rules as other Ontario residents. Applicants must pursue other available funding sources.
Its funding categories include modular ramps, lifts, tub cut-outs, automatic door openers and specified accessible bathroom work.
Apply before arranging the work. The program does not reimburse modifications completed before authorization. March of Dimes provides an application guide explaining the process.
Emergency financial assistance
The Veterans Emergency Fund provides assistance to eligible veterans and family members facing an urgent financial situation affecting their health or well-being. Its scope includes uninsured medical expenses and essential shelter needs.
War Veterans Allowance recipients can ask about the Assistance Fund, which provides up to $1,000 per calendar year for qualifying emergencies.
Support Our Troops offers additional financial assistance through several programs. Each has its own eligibility and application process.
Can tax credits help pay for accessibility improvements?
Veterans and their relatives also have access to general tax credits when they meet the eligibility requirements.
The Home Accessibility Tax Credit applies to qualifying renovations for people aged 65 or older, or eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. Certain supporting relatives can also claim. As a non-refundable credit, it reduces tax payable.
The Medical Expense Tax Credit has no general minimum age. CRA lists bathroom aids such as grab bars, grips and rails as eligible expenses when the prescription requirements are met. Larger renovation expenses have additional conditions.
Ontario’s Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit provides refundable relief for qualifying medical expenses where the age and income requirements are met.
For families creating a separate living unit, the Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit addresses qualifying renovations that allow a senior or an adult eligible for the Disability Tax Credit to live with a relative.
For 2026, the same expense cannot be claimed under both the federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit and the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit. Some CRA pages still describe the earlier 2025 rule; the change appears in the current Income Tax Act.
Keep itemized invoices and records of any funding or reimbursement received. Different credits treat that assistance differently.
What should you do before booking an installation?
Once you have identified the relevant program and discussed your needs, get the proposed work and funding arrangements clear before scheduling.
- Confirm the benefit. Ask which program applies and what assessment, prescription or recommendation is required.
- Get an itemized quote. Identify the products, installation work and costs. VAC normally requests two detailed estimates for VIP home adaptations.
- Confirm authorization and payment. Establish what has been approved, what you will pay yourself and how the claim will be submitted.
- Arrange property permissions. Obtain the owner’s consent if you rent, along with any required condominium approvals.
- Keep the paperwork. Save recommendations, approvals, invoices and proof of payment.
Seek authorization before committing to the work. VAC considers some claims submitted afterwards, but reimbursement is not assured.
You can also ask whether your chosen installer meets the relevant provider requirements. VAC’s information for service providers explains direct billing and reimbursement arrangements.
Official guides worth keeping
The Office of the Veterans Ombud’s Care at Home Resource Guide brings together the main VAC programs supporting independence at home. It explains benefits, eligibility and applications for veterans, families and caregivers.
A printable PDF is available. Its published figures are from 2025, so check current rates when planning your budget.
For surviving spouses and common-law partners, the Survivors Resource Guide provides a separate overview of benefits and application routes.
Help making your home safer and more accessible
Good Company helps clients and families in Toronto, North York, Etobicoke, Vaughan and Richmond Hill with grab bars, stair handrails, bathroom safety equipment and home accessibility improvements.
We provide itemized quotes and work with recommendations from occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals. If you are applying for funding, let us know before scheduling so we can document the proposed work for your application.
Email jesse@goodcompanyhome.com to discuss the changes you need at home.
Information checked November 2026. The organization providing assistance determines eligibility, coverage and approval. Confirm funding before committing to purchases or work.