One of Oregon’s two state veterans’ homes is in Lebanon. Families across Linn County research nursing care for months without ever learning it’s here in town, on North 5th Street.
And for some veterans, the VA covers the entire cost of that care.
Oregon’s Two Veterans’ Homes
| Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home | Oregon Veterans’ Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Lebanon, in the mid-Willamette Valley | The Dalles, overlooking the Columbia Gorge |
| Opened | 2014 | 1997 |
| Capacity | 154 residents on a 12-acre campus | Skilled nursing and memory care |
| Care offered | Long-term skilled nursing and memory care | Long-term skilled nursing and memory care |
| Run by | Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs | Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs |
The Lebanon home carries the name of Edward C. Allworth, an Oregon State graduate who earned the Medal of Honor in France in November 1918. When shellfire destroyed the bridge his company was crossing at Clery-le-Petit, he swam the canal under fire, rallied his men, and took the bridgehead.
He spent the rest of his life in Corvallis, and the Memorial Union at Oregon State exists in large part because he raised the money for it.
It’s built on a small-house model rather than a traditional institutional layout — four neighborhoods, up to three houses each, with as many as fourteen residents per house. Each house has its own kitchen and living space.
That design matters more than it sounds. Fourteen people sharing a kitchen behaves nothing like a corridor of numbered rooms, particularly for residents living with dementia.
Who Can Live There
Eligibility is broader than most families assume. It isn’t limited to the veteran.
- Veterans who served as defined by the federal VA and were discharged under honorable conditions
- Spouses and surviving spouses of eligible veterans
- Gold Star parents — parents who lost a child to service in the U.S. Armed Forces
Beyond that, an applicant needs a physician’s determination that skilled or intermediate nursing care is required, must not need care the home isn’t equipped to provide, and must be able to pay their share of the cost.
The spouse provision is the one worth repeating. A veteran’s husband or wife can be admitted on the veteran’s service — including a surviving spouse after the veteran has died.
The Part That Changes the Math
Here is the detail that decides affordability for many families, and it rarely comes up in a general nursing-home search.
For veterans with a service-connected disability rated 70% or higher, or who need nursing home care for a service-connected condition, VA pays the full cost of care at a state veterans home. The home cannot bill the veteran, an insurer, or anyone else for care VA covers under that agreement.
For everyone else, VA pays a per diem to the state home that offsets part of the cost, and the resident covers a share based on income and assets. The VA’s State Home Per Diem Program page explains how the payments work.
If your rating sits near that 70% line, this is a concrete reason to make sure it’s accurate. Our guides to how VA combines disability ratings and claiming secondary conditions cover what can move a combined rating up.
How State Homes Compare
| State veterans’ home | VA community living center | Private nursing home | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | The state, VA-recognized and certified | VA directly | Private operator |
| Who can live there | Veterans, spouses, Gold Star parents | Enrolled veterans | Anyone |
| VA financial support | Per diem, or full cost at 70%+ service-connected | VA-funded, copays may apply | None, unless VA authorizes the placement |
| Spouse can be admitted | Yes | No | Yes |
| Nearest to Lebanon | In Lebanon | Distance varies | Several local options |
The spouse row is the practical differentiator. Couples who want to stay in the same building have far fewer options than they expect, and a state home is one of them.
Applying
- Get the physician’s assessment establishing the level of care needed. Nothing moves without it.
- Gather the veteran’s DD-214 and, for a spouse or Gold Star parent applicant, proof of the relationship.
- Pull the VA rating decision. The 70% question is answered by this document, so find it before you discuss cost.
- Submit the ODVA admission application packet and expect a financial review alongside the clinical one.
- Ask about the waitlist honestly and early. Availability moves, and planning ahead beats needing a bed next week.
Current forms, admission requirements, and contact details are on the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs veterans’ homes pages. The Lebanon home is at 600 North 5th Street.
Questions Worth Asking on a Tour
Families touring any care facility tend to ask about the building. The answers that matter more are about the people and the routine.
- What is the staffing ratio on nights and weekends? Weekday-afternoon staffing is the best-case picture, not the typical one.
- How long have the caregivers on this house been here? Turnover shapes daily life more than furnishings do.
- What happens when a resident’s needs increase? Ask specifically whether a move to a different house or facility would follow.
- How are families kept informed about medication changes, falls, and care conferences?
- What does a normal day look like — meals, activities, time outdoors, visiting hours?
Ask to visit at an ordinary hour rather than only on a scheduled tour. Mealtimes are especially revealing.
Don’t Wait for the Crisis
Most families start this research after a fall, a hospital stay, or a diagnosis that changes everything in a week. That is the worst moment to be comparing facilities and hunting for a discharge document.
Three things worth doing while nothing is urgent: locate the DD-214, confirm the current disability rating, and take a tour. Homes schedule visits, and seeing the place removes most of the anxiety families carry about it.
If care at home is still workable, other benefits support that instead — Aid and Attendance adds to a VA pension for those who need help with daily activities, and the VA caregiver support program assists family members providing that care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon?
The Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home is on North 5th Street in Lebanon, on a 12-acre campus with capacity for 154 residents.
Can a spouse live in a state veterans’ home?
Yes. Spouses and surviving spouses of eligible veterans may be admitted, as may Gold Star parents.
Does VA pay for a state veterans’ home?
VA pays a per diem toward the cost for eligible veterans. For veterans rated 70% or higher, or needing care for a service-connected condition, VA pays the full cost of nursing home care.
What kind of care is offered?
Long-term skilled nursing and memory care, including care for residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Do I need an honorable discharge?
Applicants must have served as defined by the federal VA and been discharged under honorable conditions.
How many veterans’ homes does Oregon have?
Two — the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon, opened in 2014, and the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles, opened in 1997.
Ask Someone Who Has Done It
Post 51 members have families who have gone through this, and the home is close enough that many of us know residents there. That local knowledge is worth more than any brochure.
A free accredited service officer can also confirm your rating and explain what it covers — see our guide to free help from an accredited service officer, or call Post 51 at (541) 451-1351.