My husband was a vet and was diagnosed with Dementia and had to be admitted to a Memory Care Unit..My son in law is retired from the Air Force and found us an advocate who helped with all the paper work...My husband was approved within 2 months and we received almost enough to take care of the monthly home expenses...It was wonderful, he received excellent care and I didn't have to worry about trying to come up with the money...There is a lot of paper work and you do have to have your finances in order and need to be under a certain amount but it certainly is worth the "head ache", lol...My husband died peacefully, just 2 weeks ago, surrounded by family and those at the home who grew to love him...He was also given a Military funeral and I was presented with the flag...A memory I will cherish forever......Good luck......
what is VA Aid and Attendance benefit for veterans and their spouses? we are just starting to try to figure out what benefits are out there for my father in law. Just wondering what exactly this is, please help Thank you.
I was told the usual dollar amount was $80,000 but that there was no hard and fast rule. Be prepared to do a lot of paperwork as they really do log down the process and will return anything that is not done 100% correctly. My best advice would be to try and find an advocacy group that would help you fill out the paperwork for free. Start gathering documents and getting copies because you are going to have to do that anyway. Go to the VA website and download all of the documents for VA aid and attendance. The document is about 28 pages long if I remember correctly. There is also a guide to help you fill out the forms. There is not a look back at finances so while you are waiting for the VA to get back to you (it takes on the average about 18 months to get approved) try and keep the liquid assets around $80,000. You do not have to declare the house the veteran is living in or the vehicle that they or the caregiver uses. Good luck it is a tedious process and the VA will look for anything to deny because they are hoping the veteran will just die before the benefit has to be paid out. Anyways that has been my experience.
This is so helpful, what $ amount of assets can a person have to qualify - someone told me $85,000.00 or less before paperwork can be filed… how many years do I need to go back in financial paperwork. Just starting the process…I ordered a pamphlet from VA……..Thank you
Hadenough---I am in total agreement with your post. It is a travesty and they run you around in circles. But that's our illustrious government at work.
The VA will work harder to not give you the benefit than to give it to the people who have served their country. What a travesty-it is like they pay the people to find how not to give you the benefit instead of helping you get the benefit. I have been waiting over 2 years now and every time I send a letter asking to expedite (my Mother is a widow of a WW2 veteran and is 91) they send more paperwork. Call Elder Care resources - they seem to get it done quicker- or perhaps an attorney.
Mary 11, we have been waiting since Jan.2013 and we filled out two sets of paper work for my mother in law. I keep telling my husband to go down to the local office and keep hounding them but he is tired of all the rigamarole. It is my feeling that they just want to keep you and the loved one hanging on until the person dies. My mother in law in 90 years as of April and I have read they are supposed to expedite a claim when a person is that old. If any of you can offer advice I surely would like to hear what to do. Are her benefits retroactive even if she was admitted to a nursing home and being on Medicaid?
It has been mentioned several times to have a company help with the application process for Aid and Attendance benefit. Is it possible to provide the type of business that is skilled in this area?
Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA), enacted in 1982, a state court is permitted to award a percentage of the service member's pension to the former spouse. If they had been married for at least 10 years, then the former spouse may also apply to the federal government to receive the payments directly from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. By the way, remarriage of the former spouse does not affect the payments.
Hadenough, I went thru it 17 months, it was a nightmare and finally got it. Youre not alone, I am here and going through the same. Will your Mom sign a contract willing to pay you? Remember if you didnt care for her, it would cost $15-$25 an hour for someone else and they dont sleep over for free! Why would you not get paid and then the siblings get equal amounts in the end right? I am here, sounds like you are just beginning with your Mom, its a long journey so keep in touch. PSthe average money I gave you to charge is what a lawyer/accountant told me to do, the nights I do not charge and I have been doing it free now for over a year. Its not the money for me now, we have spent it down and now spent it back for Moms care, I prefer TIME off now. Take care
Thank you Reverseroles. I was low balling the amount but I really want her to qualify. I did all the paperwork myself with help from an internet site about what to fill in and what documents to send. I have heard that the VA works against you but have also heard of people charging exorbitant amounts of money so I was a little leery. I am not my Mothers POA. She is competent but cannot be left alone because of fall risk and memory decline. I figure that I will be getting more paperwork from the VA to fill out and the phone number you posted will come in handy at that time. Thank you for taking the time to answer - I feel so alone at times with this situation.
Hi, I am here, its more like $900 a WEEK. You should be getting way more than that. $15 an hour for 8 hours a day and 10 hours a day on weekends, this will bring you up to be qualified more. Tell me more, are you the POA and is your mom competent? Did you call the free VA assessment place I posted? Send me an email please if you have more questions, people do that paperwork free and not the VA, those people arent qualified and work for them against you.
I just sent out all the paperwork to the VA today for the benefits. There were forms to fill out and her MD had to do a little 2 page assessment. If Reverseroles is out there I have a question regarding my ability to have a contract with her for my services. I am an RN and am not even making minimum wage doing this 24/7 hour a day job. On the paperwork under medical expenses I charged $800/month for my services as an in home aide. I am hoping that this will bring her expenses up enough for her to qualify. She has to qualify!! I am going broke taking care of her.
You should be charging, therefore she WILL get the A&A funds~! Make out a contract and start charging her and she will get funding. IF she cannot stay alone, she is considered needing fulltime care. IN fact the A&A can pay you for your services to her.IF you have any questions write me again, Hang in there!
Thank you. I am my Mothers caregiver in her home for the last year. I am a registered nurse and of course I am not charging for my services but it is becoming a financial strain for me as I am unable to work at this time. My solution would be for the family to pay for my services but they are unwilling to do this. It is crazy because the reason she has been able to save money is because I am here doing all the shopping and paying for it all. I guess she will just have to pay the hugh amount for assisted living.
It all depends, she CAN have that much depending on what you spend on her care monthly. Medical daycares count as medical expenses or caretakers in your home, etc. I used elder benefits consulting for a free estimate on the phone.
I am just starting this process with my Mother and have a question. Does anyone know if there is a cap on the amount of assets? My Mother has a little over $100,000 in CD, Should I continue with the paperwork or is she just going to get denied because of her assets? Thank you for any help...
this post is especially for u yvmartinez: you need to contact your congressman because they have people in their office who deals with just the va. the va has to get back to your congressman office within a set number of days.you need to do this immediately and i pray this will resolve your issue for your parent. my mother receive aid and attendance and it took only 35 days for her to be approved.
P.S. I wanted to add that they do it FREE, but after I got help from the VA themselves, they screwed up and almost caused me to NOT get anything, I did pay $500 and its for LIFE that they help you. It was well worth it as we now get $1067.00 monthly
I used this company and they know EXACTLY how to do it, its noe near Florida but I bet they will still do it for you as its all done online. They got my check (retroactive) for me after I tried myself (17months), in less than 3 months.
I've been trying to get Aid and Attendance for my dad now and its been a year and 6 months and I have a stack of documentation over 4 inches in height. I am working with a VA Officer in Florida (Land o lakes) who appears to be caring and knowledgeable, but also appears to be a 'front' for the VA. Needless to say the process has been dragging. My dad is 90 years old. His claim has been escalated at least 3 times and to no avail. I have spoken to a VA attorney since then and plan to move in this direction. The VA has given me nothing but the run-a-round and lots of time has been spent meeting with the officer, collecting paper work etc. They do need the amount of income, but also the cost of care (all ADL's,equipment, cost of an ALF etc). I provided this and my dad's expenses outweighs his income by a lot, and they still denied him. I find that the Bay Pines regional office here in St. Petersburg, Florida is completely useless and run by a bunch of people who are not advocating for the veteran - instead they seem to be blocking it to avoid paying the retro-pay and granting monthly benefits What a way to say thank you to a veteran! I'm over it! I wish all of you the best. I am still pursuing this to make a point and get what is his, but this organization needs a 100% revamp
WHY does this site keeps passing around old posts that people have already answered 1 and 2 years ago without HIGHLIGHTING this is OLD? Seems like we get on to help and then realize its an old message and with what we are all going thru , who has time for old posts? LOL !
Going to look them up!
If they had been married for at least 10 years, then the former spouse may also apply to the federal government to receive the payments directly from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. By the way, remarriage of the former spouse does not affect the payments.
https://www.agingcare.com/Answers/If-my-mother-is-caring-for-my-father-and-they-are-divorced-is-she-still-eligible-for-compensation-137581.htm
PSthe average money I gave you to charge is what a lawyer/accountant told me to do, the nights I do not charge and I have been doing it free now for over a year. Its not the money for me now, we have spent it down and now spent it back for Moms care, I prefer TIME off now.
Take care
Seems like we get on to help and then realize its an old message and with what we are all going thru , who has time for old posts?
LOL !