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Debsrockyroad Asked September 2015

I was under the impression that Mom would be eligible for A & A . Any advice?

We are her only caregivers and she cannot be left alone. She receives $1000 per month for SS and retirement combined. She stayed with previous family members and they used all of her money for themselves. None of her medical bills have been paid and she was left home alone the whole time. We are sure she did not receive her meds on a regular basis either. Now that we have taken over trying to pay these bills off is costing more than she has coming in. We have to add money so they can be paid off. What do we do?

Lolli47 Oct 2015
I've been told by the Medicaid coordinator at my mother's LTC facility that (at least in AL) if the individual appears to be eligible for Aid & Attendance you/she MUST apply for that before hand or as part of the application process for Medicaid. Medicaid is funded by STATE tax dollars and they are not going to pay for anything that FEDERAL funds (veterans' benefits) will pay for. It won't be enough to pay my Mom's monthly rent but it will decrease the monies that Medicaid will have to pay. I'm about to begin that process so wish me luck and I wish you ALL luck!

Llamalover47 Oct 2015
And yes, this is theft of your mother's monies and should be reported to the police.

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Llamalover47 Oct 2015
Never use your own funds!

bls0901 Oct 2015
First of all and most importantly file a letter of intention to file for the A&A benefit. That will get the clock rolling for retro active payment if she does indeed qualify. Your father must have served in WW2 or the Korean War in a combat zone, must have married your mom within 10 years of discharge and your mom must not have remarried if they had divorced. You need to gather your father's discharge papers (original or certified copy), parents marraige license, father's death certificate, most recent 1099 from SS. Once you have all of these papers you then need to fill out form #21-534EZ that can be down loaded from the VA's web site. Call your local VFW and they should have a Service Officer that can help you fill out the forms. There is a part of the form that your mother's Dr. has to fill out, and a page that your mother has to sign (not you). I was told that due to my mother's age at the time of filing (85) her application would be expedited 4-5 months. Mom's first direct deposit of benefits was put into her bank account July 2015, 11 months later. In order for the retro active amount to be deposited the VA still has to confirm me as her fiduciary. Hang in there if this is the route that you are going to go. Filing for your state Medicaid might be faster.

JoAnn29 Oct 2015
Deb, I think the best thing you can do is contact those who your Mom owes and explain the situation. They may write the debt off. You as a child are not responsible for your parents debt.
Why do you feel u can't get A&A? I understand that it is for Mothers care not to pay bills. This means care in the home or in a AL/nursing facility that you r private paying for. Must be in WWII or a conflict such as Korea or Nam. We on this site don't have all the answers. You need to contact you VA to find out what your Mom is entitled to.

ferris1 Oct 2015
Bonniepages - A & A stands for Aid and Attendance, and your mother will not qualify for anything because she remarried.

anonymous310342 Oct 2015
What does A and A stand for. My dad was in the Korean War but they divorced and they both remarried. Dad has since past. Can mom qualify for some assistance.

ferris1 Oct 2015
You do not say what type of military service her husband had, so I cannot comment except to say go to va.gov and look up the requirements for Aid and Attendance pension for her.

wamnanealz Oct 2015
Yes you have to go and apply for A&A. if your mom or spouse served during wartimes, you will definitely get it. Also you must have proper discharge papers! Go for it.

BarbBrooklyn Oct 2015
Deb, you seemed discouraged about not having kept receipts in a previous post. Do you mean receipts from the Medical bills you paid? If you paid them by check or credit card, you have enough documentation to be reimbursed, I would think. Don't worry about those issues right now. Go forward, get going on the A and A application today. And let us know how it's going...we care!

anonymous142442 Oct 2015
Yes, I agree with former comment. If your mom or dad served in military during war time even if never deployed she has benefits coming. Contact your Aid and Attendsnce advocate in your county. You can Google this. Don't try going thru the VA and NEVER pay anyone to assist you. These advocates are there to assist you thru the maze of paperwork. My mom receives currently $1149.00 monthly towards her care. There are periodic increases. You'll be assigned a field examiner from the VA who will then guide you through it all. Don't get discouraged! There is help for your mom.

BarbBrooklyn Oct 2015
Deb, I just checked and you seem to have asked this question several times, starting back in July. What is the issue with getting the forms and filling them out? Have you contacted any of the organizations that were suggested?

anonymous142442 Oct 2015
You need to get her qualified for Medicaid. You work alongside her Social worker assigned to her. Bring her medical bills, etc. This can be worked out. I have found there's more assistance out there for our elders but you have to find it.

BarbBrooklyn Oct 2015
First off, you should not use your own monies to pay mom's bills. Have the police been contacted about the theft of mom's funds?

Have you read the VA website about eligibility? My understanding is that mom or her spouse would need to have served in the military during a time when the US was at war, but not necessarily in a war zone.

Do you have a local VFW you could contact?

Above all, do not pay anyone to complete VA paperwork for you.

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