I guess my first question. Which benifit is greater VA housebound or Aid and Assistance.
There is some confusion here.

Mon just received "Aid and Assistance" from the VA but I think she is eligible for "Home Bound" Benefits. How do I tell if she is eligible and how do go about claiming home bound benefits?
She is not in a nursing home but lives with her son. I have to leave her with elder sitters if I leave the house. She has compression fracture with bone thinning problems. Maybe I should have had her doctor to make a statement that she is homebound? Is there a form that I need to give to the doctor to fill out stating that she is homebound? How should I apply for Home
Bound benefits for her? What proceedure should I use?

She can't drive and requires some with her all the time.

Thank you,

Hi there Muckmail. For the details on this you should contact your local VA representative, but in the mean time I can try to tell you what mine explained to me.

First of all, you may be eligible for Aid and Attendance OR Housebound benefits---but not both. Aid and Attendance is the benefit that pays better and has more qualifying expenses. The rep I spoke with said he only applies for Housebound benefits for Vets who may already be collecting other benefits. It seems there is a limit to the dollar amount one can collect under certain circumstances. So, when this is the case, he would apply for Housebound benefits in order to obtain more money for the veteran, but still keep him within the benefit limit.

Anyway, this is generally what I understood from what I was told...but DO contact your local VA rep for an exact answer.

So is there a rep that you know of that I can contact for an exact answer?? I thought they mentioned service organizations that can help
on this. I am still confused on this?

Response by mariabee does not make sense to me. He says Aid and Assistance" pays more but in the same message he says a rep applies for homebound assistance to obtain more money. That
does not make sense to me? So she should apply for homebound assistance to obtain more money? Is that what you are saying??

This looks like something that the VA has
made confusing and difficult to find an answer for people. What is the answer here?

Thank you,

I'm so sorry that I was unable to explain this in a way that you would have been able understand.

If you go to http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp
you will find the VA Facilities Locator and Directory which will give you addresses and phone numbers for all of the VA clinics, and the local & regional VA offices in your area.

Perhaps someone there will be better able to help you understand how it all works.

Good luck!

Hi, muckmail, I have two threads to list that I hope will help. first

http://eldercare.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1196030151/m/6831027374

And.

http://eldercare.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1196030151/m/1331051392

I have never yet dealt with VA, but I read this info. Hub is a vet, short term but combat service. No war related problems, that I currently know or would claim.. Don't think I will over look any stone on his behalf. Hope you can find a helpful link here.

Thats ok, It is hard for me to understand things
anyway. The service reps & social works in the Evansville Indana are very little help. I think the work to keep people instead of helping. I think they have been told to do that in order to
keep people out and save their employer money.
I am looking for what this call a VSO in this area. Veterian Service organization that specializes in getting assistance for people.
Hopefully I will find one in Evansville IN area.
The Aid and Assistance that she got was only a 3?? increase. That will not begin to pay for sitter cost at home.

I was looking at website http://www.veteransaidbenefit.org/using_aid_attendance_...e_care.htm#topmargin and it talks about getting the VA to pay for the
sitters. Take a look at it and see if that is a possability.