Today I called the Veterans Administration to ask if they can assist me with the assisted living or nursing home care of my father (a World War II veteran).

Their social worker told me the VA does not give assistance to veterans who are disabled outside of the military. They only serve veterans who were injured as a result of combat, delayed stress syndrome or who have been under the care of a VA hospital.

That really stinks. Here my father served 4 years in Italy and now the government is turning its back on him.

I read about others getting help so why can't my father?

They do give assistance to some extent.He could be placed in a VA facility.I do know they are giving top priority to the most recent casulties of this ongoing war.They also have a hospice with in the facilities with limited space.Funding is low and they are seeing more and more veterans turn to the VA.

I've found the social worker at my MIL's facility to be a really good resource for finding benefits. Have you talked to anyone at the nursing home?

Or, and this was some years ago, we found a local United Way agency devoted to elders issues that sent a social worker out to visit my grandparents in their home. She was able to hook them up with all sorts of programs, government AND private charities, that we would never have otherwise known about. She even helped us fill out the forms.

OC,
They don't know what they're talking about. Federal employees! Keep at it, you will find a way. It's almost impossible without outside help.
If I had known about it earlier I would have asked at the nursing homes and assisted living places because they know about it and who to ask for help in applying. They will be very helpful if they think you are about to place your loved one there.
If he has less than $1100/month income, needs constant aid and attendance and has less than 80K cash, he would probably qualify for the Aid and Attendance pension of up to 1400/month. (where home ownership fits in I can't recall but he can keep a car)
Mom's started when she entered an assisted living facility, they had the applications through Alliant Associates of Lakewood Colorado. They did all the applications for us and it was immediate. All they had to do was to have served in wartime any number of days.
Now if I had applied when I was caring for her alone for free, she wouldn't have qualified because the daily care is called "medical expenses" on the application. But if you are hiring someone to help at home it applies. Mom left the ALF and came home to live with us the last year and she continued to receive the pension. It wasn't "disability" connected. There's also a "homebound" pension.
Go AFter It!
Sandi

OC,
Do more than call the VA, you will just get the run around. I called them years ago and was told that mother qualified for VA medical and pharmaceutical care at their hospitals but nothing else. It's a SECRET!
Communities have a VA Service Officer, our small town does. Ours is in the phone book in the government pages. They are better. Ask someone at the VFW. They will know also.
Somewhere in these archives is the phone number for Alliant Associates. They can at least direct you to someone who can
Call some facilities and see if they have the applications for the Aid and Attendance Pension.
Our accountant couldn't believe it when I told him about Mother's pension, he has been referring people left and right for the past 2 years.
Our specialist elder law attorney, at $300/hour didn't know about it either.
So keep digging! The forms are online but I didn't make copies of mother's initial application forms through Alliant.
If you need any more help I can get her files out and be more specific.
Sandi

PS
If you don't have a GOOD tax accountant, get one. There are ways you can buy out your father's share of the house or have it gifted to you and your spouse and/or children over a time span that are legal and will save you the anxiety of possibly doing something wrong.

Hello, I would like to reply to OCSurfCity.
The benefits are available you must pursue them!!!Long story short.................... I have a Dad, 82 years old who is a WWII veteran with a purple heart. He does not have a service related disability.He has Alzheimers and we are in the process of placing him in an assissted living facility. I have been trying to get these Va benefits for the last month!! I have literally been on the phone for the past four hours this morning!!! Finally I pinned down the incompetent VA workers only after I called Congresswoman Mary Bono's office and complained.(my parents live in Riverside County, CA and I live in Orange County CA)The Va worker flat out originally LIED to me (and this was the supervisor). Her exact words were "we do not cover any type of assissted living home for Alzheimers" Finally I asked (after numerous phone calls) what exactly does the VA cover and why is the assissted living facility owner telling me that there are VA benefits available? I even told her the exact amount the assissted living home owner had told me.....$1412..00 per month! Finally, she admitted that there is a benefit called "Aide and Attendance" and that my Dad needed to "show assissted care was needed for medical services". When I asked her if medical services included giving him his medications on a daily basis (as he does not take them on his own) she FINALLY RELUCTANTLY ADMITTED that "yes that would qualify him for these benefits" So I have made arrangements to have him seen by a VA doctor tomorrow at the Loma Linda Va facility (go to urgent care) My dad needs to be "evaluated" by a VA doctor even though he has been under the care of a private physician and has had Alzheimers for the past 4 years! I will be filling out the paperwork that the assissted living home owner provided me with and that the fools at the Va tried to tell me did not exist! The benefits are retrocative to the date you apply!! If you need further info please feel free to e-mail me..................I think everyone that is entitled to these benefits needs to get them!! It seems to be the VA's objective is to release as little and as inaccurate info as possible!!! GOOD LUCK!!

Hello Sandmason,
I have been reading your posts on this web site and you seem to have a wealth of information regarding the aide and attendance VA benefit program. I have read all of your posts and I truly do appreciate all of the expertise and personal advice that you have shared with everyone! It makes the load of being a caregiver a bit easier!!
I hope that you may be able to give me further information. I have written one post on the web site(Vigmar) when I thought things were going well and that we would be able to apply for the aide and attendance benefit. However, since I posted that info on the thread I have run in to so many complications it is just unbelievable!!

A little background..................my dad has advanced Alzheimer's and my sister and I are taking care of him. He stays at each of our houses for a few days at a time as my mother is no longer able to care for him in their home. He is 82 years old and she is 83. If has come to the point where we are unfortunately, looking in to assisted living facilities. I found out about the VA benefit A&Aform the assisted living facility owner and also by reading all of the postings on this web site. After much frustration and no success with the VA on the phone I contacted our Congresswoman's office(Mary Bono).
Her office was able to point me in the right direction as far as who to contact at the VA. When I contacted them they knew NOTHING!!! Finally a supervisor agreed that there were "some benefits".

So for the last two days I have made the long trip out to the Loma Linda VA Hospital to try to speak in person to the correct people. Unfortunately, the SO (service officer) did not know about the aide and attendance program and tried to tell me that my dad had to have a service related disability!! The patient advocate also did not know about the program!!

Finally, I made it up to the social work office and again spoke with the same supervisor.(this time in person). She told me I just needed to fill out a one page VA form from the doctor. I asked her about the long application that the assisted living facility had given me and when she took a look at it she told me that she was unfamiliar with these forms and she "was learning as we were doing this" and that I was the first one to apply for this benefit . She also said they had only recently "found out" about the aide and attendance program since I had brought it to their attention. Finally, she told me that I would have better luck submitting my application to the regional office down in San Diego. So as soon as my head stops spinning that is where I am headed!!

Now my questions for you:

I will be contacting Allied Associates tomorrow. I know that you highly recommended them...THANK YOU!! Will they be charging me or who pays them? Today, I contacted a company that is called Veterans Financial Services that also fill out the VA aide and attendance forms. However, this particular company is paid by the financial advisors that they recommend that my parents use. These advisors are mainly sheltering assets which my parents, at this point, have few to no assets(except their home)so there is no need to shelter anything. Therefore, I am not sure if they will still help me. (I need to call them again tomorrow).

The assisted living facility owner has offered to help us fill out the forms, however, we may not be sending my dad there just yet. We would like to get the aide and attendance benefits now and use them towards paying for home health aides. We will need to move my father to an assisted living facility in the near future. Should we send the forms in ourselves or go through the owner? I am not sure if she can complete the forms for us now, or if she needs to wait until my father is actually in her facility
PHEWWWWWWWWWW>>>>>>>>>>>>I hope that you don't mind my long story and I would truly appreciate any further hints, advice and help that you can give me in navigating the crazy mixed VA benefit system!!
Thank you so very much!!

Vigmar,

I know that the VA websites "sortof" list this pension and some of the details. I know federal employees can be very ignorant and incompetent. Possibly they are dishonest too. All VA forms are online and available for download, but which ones are needed I'm not sure.

If they served in wartime, have low income, cash assets under $80K.(no lookback, home, furnishings and car exempt), non-service connected disability, and have care expenses equalling their income, basically, they qualify.

Your Dad's doctor will have to state that he is in need of constant aid and attendence and fill out a form showing his competencies. Form number don't know.

Write letters and make sure you make copies. I could scan in Mom's paperwork and put it on a private website. I didn't make copies of her original application materials that I sent to Alliant. But a month later a check magically appeared in her mailbox, retroactive to the application date. Each year you have to fill out the paperwork showing expenses again so save anything and everything.

I think you have to show "care"(medical)expenses almost as much as his income. Medical expenses are not just prescriptions and supplies but what he has to pay caregivers, since he cannot be left alone. Income under or around $11K. That's why he's more likely to get the pension if they are accepted in an assisted living facility first because expenses generally take all their income AND the pension. At your house room and board expenses wouldn't count in quite the same way unless possibly he has a paid care agreement with you that an attorney set up. Last year I set one up in case the lack of one would make Mom lose her pension. But we were already paying $13+/hour for help, 20 hours+/week.

I have taken liberties giving out Alliant Associates name and number as I have no idea whom they serve in general or what their fee is. They have helped people from this forum who have called, I know that. It is worth going into personal debt over because the pension is $1400/month for the rest of their lives.

I brought Mom home after ten months in the ALF and we were able to keep the pension because I was hiring a caregiver just a few hours a day. Point is, they don't have to STAY there to keep it but he might have to go there to get it. It stays in effect at a nursing home later too.

What Alliant does is have you fill out THEIR forms, they tweak them to the proper VA language making sure that everything you have provided is correct, then they fill out the federal forms and have your Dad sign them. Otherwise you will make an error that disqualifies you. THEY file the forms for you. Then, if your elder is not capable of managing money they will have to have a federal fiduciary appointed and the checks will come in your name, if you are appointed. It's a complication you can avoid if your dad can do some of his own finances. Make sure the doctor doesn't claim he is incapable of dealing with his finances if he is.

There will be a VA examiner come to visit in person if you are awarded the pension.

Man this is so disorganized. (Bad time of day, engine going full speed, transmission busted.) Feel free to send a private message or email me. I will help in any way I can.
Sandi

Vigmar,
Hire the home caregivers FIRST, then apply, so you can project monthly expenses. They want to see the last year. It only takes 100 hours/month to use the whole pension, when they need 100 hours in the first four days!
Sandi

Vigmar,
Here is the entire 26 page form. Print out several copies, read and reread all the instuctions in DETAIL and you will possibly be able to do this yourself.

http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
VA Forms
Welcome to the Department of Veterans Affairs Forms web site.
IMPORTANT: You must have at least Adobe Reader version 6.0 on your computer to fully utilize all the forms on this site. You can download software at: Free Adobe Reader Download. Forms on this site are available in several formats. Fillable pdf can be filled on-line, printed, saved and edited. XFT forms can be filled on-line, printed, and saved to your pc but cannot be edited later (TURN OFF YOUR POP-UP BLOCKER TO USE XFT). Some PDF are printable blank forms.

To find a form, enter the form number (example: 12-1234 or 1234) or a word from the form's title or subject.
Form Number: 21-526

6 Selected / 382 In Database
Number (type) Title Issue Date Revision Date # Pages
21-526
(PDF) Vet's Application for Compensation and/or Pension 2/12/2004 26
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/21-526.pdf

I think you can fill it out online too at VONAPP!
http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/who_uses.asp#PEN

vigmar, pls do a google search on Brian Newmark, the principal of VFS

quote:

Originally posted by vigmar2:
Hello, I would like to reply to OCSurfCity.
The benefits are available you must pursue them!!!Long story short.................... I have a Dad, 82 years old who is a WWII veteran with a purple heart. He does not have a service related disability.He has Alzheimers and we are in the process of placing him in an assissted living facility. I have been trying to get these Va benefits for the last month!! I have literally been on the phone for the past four hours this morning!!! Finally I pinned down the incompetent VA workers only after I called Congresswoman Mary Bono's office and complained.(my parents live in Riverside County, CA and I live in Orange County CA)The Va worker flat out originally LIED to me (and this was the supervisor). Her exact words were "we do not cover any type of assissted living home for Alzheimers" Finally I asked (after numerous phone calls) what exactly does the VA cover and why is the assissted living facility owner telling me that there are VA benefits available? I even told her the exact amount the assissted living home owner had told me.....$1412..00 per month! Finally, she admitted that there is a benefit called "Aide and Attendance" and that my Dad needed to "show assissted care was needed for medical services". When I asked her if medical services included giving him his medications on a daily basis (as he does not take them on his own) she FINALLY RELUCTANTLY ADMITTED that "yes that would qualify him for these benefits" So I have made arrangements to have him seen by a VA doctor tomorrow at the Loma Linda Va facility (go to urgent care) My dad needs to be "evaluated" by a VA doctor even though he has been under the care of a private physician and has had Alzheimers for the past 4 years! I will be filling out the paperwork that the assissted living home owner provided me with and that the fools at the Va tried to tell me did not exist! The benefits are retrocative to the date you apply!! If you need further info please feel free to e-mail me..................I think everyone that is entitled to these benefits needs to get them!! It seems to be the VA's objective is to release as little and as inaccurate info as possible!!! GOOD LUCK!!

Treasure Hunt over, I got it!

http://www.veteransfinancial.com/index.html

Looks like these people can help you find whatever veterans benefits you might be needing and can't get on your own.
I'll bet Brian Newmark works there
Thanks to our anonymous friend!

The "Aid and Attendance" benefit for Veterans with wartime service can be applied to regular assisted living facilities. I refer families to it through a State Veterans representative regularly.

John Hopkins

Although I am a new member of this Forum, I would like to say a few words about this discussion of veterans benefits. I have the priviledge of being an accredired Veterans Service Officer through one of the 37 service organizations currently accredited to assist veterans by the VA Office of General Counsel. I have noticed some discussion here aregarding for-profit companies who assist applicants with veterans claims. Please let me set the record straight: There are only three classifications of individuals who can legally assist a veteran or a family member with a claim, a practicing attorney, an accfredited claims agent, or a representative of a veterans service organization. A private individual can assist once and no more than once. There are (and I quote the VA here) individuals and companies, some of which have been mentioned previously, who prey on senior veterans. Characteristics of these companies are (1) they generally arise out of the financial planning field and have the ulterior motive of selling a financial product(even if they claim to assist veterans for free it is still very illegal!), (2) they charge some type of fee, either directly or indirectly (straight fee or commission from the sale of something like an annuity, and (3) they have no right to represent a Claimant before the VA so they cannot assist if a claim gets into problems. I personally know of somew firms charging anywhere from $750 to several thousand dollars for "helping" a client. If anyone out there is tyhinking of using one of these companies or attends an informational seminar about veterans benefits, here's what you need to know.

Anyone can legally talk to an individual or group about veterans benefits. You may not get very accurate information, but it is legal. However, and here is the big "but", the moment anyone asks for more information about how to proceed, according to the VA and Federal law, that person become a "Claimant." [ 38 USC 14.627(g)]. At that point, regardless of any other consideration, they become a Claimant and only one of the three catagories mentioned abobve can assist a Claimant gather information, help fill our claim forms, help submit a claim, or assist the process in any way. And, folks, this isn't me speaking or giving an opinion, this is strsight from the Deputy Assistant General Counsel of the VA! So, I know the Claims process is difficult and time consuming, however, theer are legitimate, legal ways to proceed. Don't be like the 101 year old widow I assisted when the VA asked for over $19,000 back becaise she had used an illegal company who gave her really, really bad adive and the VA wanted their Pension and benefit money back. And, by the way, one of the most enduring pur myths of VA lore is that a Claimant can have up to $80,000 in assets. Absolute rubbish!! No where in VA law or regulations is any such amount named. The only $80,000 figure I know of is that if a Claimant has over $80,000 they are subject to a pretty throuough financial audit to get approved. There are actually four areas that are takjen into consideration to determine if a Claimant has "limited" net worth and to determine if it is "reasonable" that a portion of that net worth should be consumed for the Claimants maintenace: (1) the amount of countable assets, (2) the rate of depletion, (3) the statistical longevity from the VA's 'Life Expectancy for Net Worth Determination' table, and (4) the number of dependents. In short, vitually everyone is different. There is no magic $80,000 number!!! I am a Claimant get turned down (initially - we got it fixed on reconsideration) with only $3,300.00!!

In short, find a good VA Officer that knows the law and isn't guessing. Guessing may get you approved, but it also may have you paying back a lot of money on audit!! Don't break the law or encourage others to do so. Sure, use outside help, but the outside help that has been set up for your use by the VA.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Moms_Buddy,

george. it is good to meet you. your information you posted will be very valuable many. thank you for taking the time to post hope to get to know you.

Welcome, George! So glad you found your way here.

I have "pinned" this topic with your "from the horse's mouth" information and sage advice.

Remember folks: when a company promises to get you benefits from the VA, Social Security, or any government agency, for a one-time only low, low fee, be afraid! Be VERY afraid!

George, I hope you can help steer folks in the right direction on these matters. Sometimes the VA can be an AWESOME bureaucracy to navigate and practical advice is always helpful. Thanks so much for chiming in!