The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall carry out a program to be known as the “Veteran-Directed Care program”. Under such program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into agreements with the providers described in paragraph (2) to provide to eligible veterans funds, to the extent practicable, to obtain such in-home care services and related items that support clinical need and improve quality of life, as may be determined appropriate by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and selected by the veteran, including through the veteran hiring individuals to provide such services and items or directly purchasing such services and items.

If a veteran participating in the Veteran-Directed Care program is hospitalized, the veteran 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.

The Secretary shall carry out a program to be known as the ‘Homemaker and Home Health Aide program’ under which the Secretary may enter into agreements with home health agencies to provide to eligible veterans such home health aide services as may be determined appropriate by the Secretary.

Covered respite care provided to a resident eligible caregiver of a veteran under paragraph (1) may exceed 30 days annually if such extension is requested by the resident eligible caregiver or veteran and determined medically appropriate by the Secretary.

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).

The terms “caregiver” and “family caregiver”, 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 eligible veteran under subsection (a) of such section or a covered veteran under subsection (b) of such section, as the case may be.

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).

The term “covered respite care” has the meaning given such term in section 1720G(d) of this title.

The term “home health aide” means an individual employed by a home health agency to provide in-home care services.

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.

The terms “Indian tribe” and “tribal organization” have the meanings given those terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

The terms “Native American” and “Native American veteran” have the meanings given those terms in section 3765 of this title.

The terms “Native Hawaiian” and “Native Hawaiian health care system” have the meanings given those terms in section 12 of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act (42 U.S.C. 11711).

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).