Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was considering it and started to look into it. It seemed unlikely that my father would qualify and the process seemed a bit complicated. Given those two factors and a few other things going on in our lives, I did not follow through. But I have read in other forums that it could be worth the effort.
OK, so now I have more info after talking to the hospice social worker at the assisted living home yesterday. (We had a threesome birthday party for the ladies who are all July birthdays).
The social worker did say you CAN get back pay from the date of application and that I should send them the current bills and ask for an EXPEDITED CLAIM. Never heard this term before. Based on the fact Mom is in hospice, this should speed up things she said. So, I copied everything and went to the PO last night. Tried faxing but couldn't get thru. Have spent so much time on this, if we can get back pay, it will be worth it.
The issue for Aid and Attendance or HHA services is complicated. For the most part...veterans are very independent...so when a nurse does the assessment...and asks the questions for eligibility...veterans usually say "yes, I can take my own medication, independently"...when the TRUE answer is..."well..I miss most of my meds because I forget to take them or drop them on the floor when taking them"...doh! So...in effect....they blow themselves out of services they need.
The issue for Aid and Attendance or HHA services is complicated. For the most part...veterans are very independent...so when a nurse does the assessment...and asks the questions for eligibility...veterans usually say "yes, I can take my own medication, independently"...when the TRUE answer is..."well..I miss most of my meds because I forget to take them or drop them on the floor when taking them"...doh! So...in effect....they blow themselves out of services they need.
That's a great point jasper. I can't tell you how many times my Dad has said things that could potential cause him not to get services that he should get. In his case they didn't relate to VA services, but either way, it something that is a problem.
The elderly want so badly to demonstrate how competent they still are. They often end up sending incorrect messages to those who are trying to help them get the services they need.
The following gives them such incredible power to say yes or no on the issue of financial status that it is questionable whether there is any fairness in the whole system.
"There are financial eligibility requirements associated with the qualification for any VA pension, including Aid and Attendance benefits. The current rule of thumb is that a married veteran and spouse can have no more than $80,000 in countable assets ($50,000 for a single veteran or surviving spouse). Those amounts include retirement assets but exclude a home and a vehicle. Remember that this is merely a guideline and not a rule. There are other factors that the VA caseworkers consider such as age/life expectancy, income and medical expenses in determining whether the veteran or surviving spouse is entitled to pension benefits."
I have found that issue very troublesome. That is questionable practice to give some the benefits and some will not receive benefits based on the same qualifications. I think that this should be challenged in court and the VA should be forced into establishing specific rules for disbursement of benefits.
PhxBarb, I was wondering if your Mom ever got approval for this before she passed away. My Mom applied for it (I mean, I applied for her); the APPLICATION process was very easy and the local VA person was great. The assisted-living facility agreed to accept a lower rent payment in anticipation that they'd be paid retroactively when the VA approved the claim. However, nine months later it still was stuck in the bureaucracy and my mother died. The VA does not approve claims after the applicant has died, so the facility had to eat the cost of the unpaid rent (there was no money in her estate to pay it). Seems like the VA has a nice system going to avoid paying out -- just wait long enough and the applicant will die.
Avalon; I am sorry for your loss, which is exactly like mine. No, Mom never got the subsidy, but we were able to negotiate with the attorney who filed the app more than a year ago to return part of the $4500 we paid him to submit the app. I have heard that some people still get the money after they have died, but am not counting on it. I think this whole Aid and Attendance thing should be scrapped because it gives people false hope that they will get help, which never comes. And it was a really really big headache sending and faxing them stuff all the time, which they either lost or said wasn't correct. I am glad to be done with the VA (and the idiot lawyer.) Take care.
Applying for anything from the VA can be a hassle and can take a long time. Often it results in denial of whatever you're applying for. I went through this with DH when we applied for his VA benefits. He became disabled and we really needed financial help from them, so we started submitting claims. It's usually a long process and a lot of paperwork, a lot of time waiting. We kept at it and later on got enough service connection (70%) that he eventually got full disability benefits due to what they call IU. We used a veterans' service organization called DAV to help us with the whole long process. I don't recall applying for Aid and Attendance during all that, but I imagine it's similar. I do recommend using one of the veterans' service organizations when applying for anything...their services are free. They usually know what they're doing and it just cuts down on the problems. I honestly don't know how many times we went to DAV for help over those years...many, many times Sorry to hear of your loss, Avalon.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
