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Brooks82 Asked March 2014

I take care of my retired military Dad full-time am I entitled to any benefits?

I started taking care of my Dad in Aug. of 2007, he was not taking care of himself and was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2008. I am his cook, financial advisor, housekeeper, taxi, etc. I cannot work, therefore have no income of my own. Would I be entitled to any benefits at all?

Moxie1 Mar 2014
Besides the VA, if your father's income is low, he could qualify for Medicaid if you put him into a facility. Basically, you would spend down whatever assets he has left on his care and then he would go on Medicaid. The advantage of this is that you could go back to work since you would no longer be his full-time caregiver.

JessieBelle Mar 2014
So much depends on your father's income. You can check with the VA representative in your area to see if he qualifies for any assistance. If he does qualify, there may be some money to pay a caregiver. Filling out the paperwork is free, though often people enlist the assistance of an attorney familiar with what is needed. Talk to someone at the VA and they will be able to tell you the income limit and what you need to do if your father qualifies for assistance. The assistance can take a long time to go through, but then pays retroactively to the time of application if I understand right.

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