How To Move Into An Armed Forces Retirement Home

While your parents are in good health, have a conversation about how to move into an Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH). Considered a model retirement community for America’s veterans, AFRH offers two beautiful residential facilities--one in Gulfport, Mississippi and the other in Washington, D.C.

Armed Forces Retirement Home provides veterans with independence and a variety of activities they can enjoy in retirement. Each AFRH campus also offers on-site health care, including assisted living and skilled nursing services, that residents may need later. AFRH rivals premiere retirement homes throughout the country, but with lower monthly costs and no expensive registration fees.

AFRH residents enjoy comfortable rooms, delicious meals, a full-service bar, extensive libraries, health and dental clinics, financial institutions, fitness facilities, multi-denominational chapels and more. But both facilities currently have a waiting list for prospective residents. If your parents are considering a move to AFRH, encourage them to apply now to be added to the waiting list. Here is an eight-step overview of the process.

Things you'll need:

• Internet access
• Be at least 60-years-old
• Meet eligibility requirements
• Completed request form
• Completed application (after eligibility is confirmed)

1.   Visit the AFRH website. Type the phrase “Armed Forces Retirement Home” in the search bar of your favorite Internet browser and hit “Enter.” The AFRH website should be the first item listed in the search results.
2. Visit the “New Resident” page. From the navigation menu at the top of the AFRH home page, select the “New Resident” button. Read the description to learn more about moving into an Armed Forces Retirement Home.
3. Visit the “Forms” page. From the navigation menu at the top of the “New Resident” page, select the “Forms” button. Read the description to learn more about the application process.
4. Confirm AFRH eligibility. From the “Forms” page, click on the link for “Eligibility” and read the eligibility requirements. American veterans are eligible to move into an AFRH facility only if they meet certain criteria. For example, active duty service must include at least 50 percent enlisted, warrant officer or light duty officer. Veterans must be at least 60-years-old, with twenty or more years of active duty.
5. Submit a request form. A veteran who meets all eligibility requirements must submit an Armed Forces Retirement Home request form. To access the request form, click the link on the “Forms” page. The form requires the completion of contact information and a short survey.
6. Complete an application. After AFRH confirms the veteran's eligibility, he or she can work on other documentation for the application process. This includes a checklist, new resident application, medical exam form, psychological evaluation, functional assessment, “Memorandum of Acknowledgement” and "Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Information.” Applicants can download these forms from the “Forms” webpage.
7. Submit the application. After the veteran completes the AFRH application form and additional forms, he or she must submit the application to one of the two AFRH campuses. For general questions regarding the application process, veterans should email Admissions@afrh.gov and specify their desired campus.
8. Wait for a reporting date. Once the application is approved by Armed Forces Retirement Home, the veteran will be placed on a waiting list. AFRH bases the waiting list chronologically on approval date. The current waiting period for a Gulfport or Washington residence is more than two years.