Vet Assistance for Alzheimer's and Dementia Care

This omits a very important bit of information and that is the financial. It is very unclear to me what the financial limitations are, that is, whether assets or income of family members directly affect benefits and how much. The vet I have in mind was on active duty in a war zone in WWII.

I am currently going through this with an elder attorney. For mine there are financial requirements. Through a VA analysis my attorney had done, there was a value set that my parents are allowed to have.

This next part is where you need to pay REALLY close attention. If I hadn't caught this it could be a whole different ball game. When the attorney was talking, I was under the impression (through his fast talk) that medicaid was part of setting up the VA benefits.

Through a miracle of God's covering (too long to tell here), I discovered Medicaid was a whole separate issue where the government helps to pay for nursing care IF your parents need it.

Here's the problem I had. The attorney was "assuming" I wanted the government to provide for my parents. That's an individual's choice. Mine wanted to preserve my inheritance and let the government take care of mom and dad (yes, his own words).

I proceeded to explain to the attorney that I was private paying now and due to correctly placed investments, their assisted living would continue to be paid for and protected.

We disagreed on issues, but I say all that to say this.... ask a LOT of questions. Know in your mind what and how you want to take care of your parents. Make sure you separate issues, ask yourself the tough questions.

I'm not saying that my choice is right for anyone, but based on my beliefs of our government and country and God as the fore runner of it all... my choice was quite clear.

Just be careful... and be prepared for paperwork galore when it comes to VA benefits, but its definitely worth it and your loved one EARNED IT!

God bless!

also ask the VA about Aid and Attendance which is an "enhancement" to their existing benefits

Good point arose4yu,

I work on a blog about eldercare and in-home care. VA benefits are some of the best out there from a long-term or in-home care perspective. But as you said, it is important to ask about Aid and Attendance benefits.

For more information on taking advantage of VA benefits, check out our blog at www.rightathome.net/seniorhomecare.

Best,
Bill

I was doing research for friends who have both parents, Vet and his spouse with mental and medical issues. Yes they qualify for these benefits, VA requirerments, mentally and financially. Thier priority is to take care of the parents. I believe if they could see the big picture VA benefits could relieve some of the cost and keep the parents home an added benefit for children. My thoughts of using these benefits is not to preserve the home for the childrens benefit (it just works out that way) it's to use the resourses in the best way possible. For example if you earned frequent flyer miles to go on a trip to Hawaii. This would benefit in many ways, saves time money, wear and tear on auto, and if you drive, there is a dead end when you get to Cali. So you can't reach your final destination then you have to fly anyway. VA benefits are like free miles you may have to work at them initially but you may preserve or lengthen assets you need for the future. If Mom and Dad go downhill and cannot reside at assisted living or need medical attention and ordered to be in NH, the cost is almost double and when funds are diminished you will need government assitance anyway. Then you've got a mess on your hands because this could take months of paperwork and still could get rejected anyway. A NH won't take you unless they are getting paid. Then you have an obsticle.. where does Mom and Dad go from there. I went through this type of scenerio with my Mom. Couldn't come home but didn't have the funds to pay NH and wasn't qualified for Medicaid yet either. I have seen it happen to others as well. I worked it out somehow, but it was a tuffy and poor Mom was cared for but not in a pleasant place during that time in limbo. She did not have VA benefits but I wish she did.
Mitzipinki ....I don't understand why you and the lawyer dissagree. Why would you chose not to keep assets you will most likely lose otherwise(a benefit set up for such a purpose to help Vet families).

Here's something I've looked for and can not find. I'm a Retired Veteran that takes full time care of my wife (age 68) that has dementia. Is there any financial assistance that I can apply for and from whom?? I have a one man business, but you can guess how much time I've been giving it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

I have a World War II Veteran (father in law) that has dementia. His wife just suffered a stroke and she can not recover for worry of him. We currently have him in the VA hospital to find out that they can not keep him long term. Financially, they can not afford a nursing home. They have tried in home care and the dementia patient is sometimes violent, so it did not work. What other options are out there.

My husband has a severe Dementia that needed a long term care / assested living facility. Got all the papers needed at the VA for some help / benefits that might get only to find out that he WON'T get anything from the VA because his Military retirement and the Social Security pension is enough to take care of him in the assested living place... And if the wife is working no more help that the VA can extend to either the wife or the Vet ? Pls help confused.

I found out we would have to sell everything (cars/motorcycle and business truck) to receive any financial help from Medicaid, Just because we are married.
I try to keep my wife active (full blown Dementia), she still likes riding on the back of our motorcycle and we belong to a car club which she can be around other women her age having fun. This is why I hear of folks divorcing at a later point in life to save they're livelihood without giving up everything. The funny thing about all of this is, is that Medicaid doesn't care about what you acquire after assistance starts; you just can't have them when assistance starts.
It didn't make sence to me to work outside the home and pay for someone to be at home with my wife, i'd be paying peter to pay paul. I to have a military retirement with social security coming in.