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How do i get more info?
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Susan

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I was given information for Vet Assist Program. I contacted them and they helped me collect all the information I need to get assistance from the VA. They will take care of the cost of home care until your benefits are started. It was so much easier then dealing with the VA yourself.
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Donna 1944,
Is her 2nd husband deceased? Was it divorce or death from her 1st husband? My mother was married and divorced and remarried her 2nd husband ( my father who was a WWII vet) and when he passed they really pushed for info on husband #1 even though she not only divorced him but had marriage annulled. They were trying to get her the highest benefits. Im not an expert by any means but I hope you look into it a little further. Good luck! Red tape is the worst.
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To the OP, you ask "How do I get reimbursement for an aide?" and I just want to make sure you (and others down the the line reading this) understand --you yourself do not get reimbursement. It goes to your mom directly.
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My mom remarried to a non vet and so can't draw off my dad who died in 1988.
What a shock it was to attend a meeting and being told " it doesn't matter and then when I contacted VA they cut me off when I said she remarried. He is now deceased and she isnt getting enough SS to pay rent. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. they don't tell them that before they need it, (don't remarry to a non-veteran). At least we would have known she couldn't qualify.
As has been said before, the gov will pull every trick in the book to keep you from getting it. So many technicallitys. Has to be done just right. Good luck!
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It has been 5 1/2 years since we did this so memory is a little rusty on it. I'm in the Dallas area and this wasn't the only law firm to do this. We might have filled out some of the paper work but the firm put all of it together and submitted it (walked us through it). "IF" our claim was not accepted then we owed them nothing but as it did work out for us we paid the fee. The only advice they gave us was what steps we needed to take in order to receive the benefits, i.e. financial, as you can only have so much money to receive benefits as stated in other replies. They also walked us through what to do with the rest of the money as to receive benefits but keep it where your loved one can get to it if needed (Trust). The facility that my mom is in gave us the name of several Veteran's firms. And No, they were not in "cahoots" with them. The one we went with we felt very comfortable with (and checked out thoroughly) but do be careful before giving any money to someone before you check them out. Hope this cleared up my previous post/answer.
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There are keywords in filling this paperwork out. Housebound is a qualifying condition for receiving care. I went to a local VA office, not the one in Atlanta, where I live, but in Dalton Ga, which is much smaller. They helped me. If your mom is unable to leave her home without assistance, unable to purchase her groceries, take care of her daily needs, then she should qualify for an attendant. You will have to have someone fill out papers to verify that they have been filling this position for your mom. That's what I did and it was approved. Income and assets are a big deal too. The survivor can own her home, but have little savings and small income. I'm not sure how much is considered since we did this some years back.
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I am glad that you got the payments started so quickly for your mother. It is my understanding that no one is allowed to charge a fee to fill out the paperwork needed to apply for the benefit. I have been told this by more than one person in a position to know. Perhaps that attny also gave you advice on other matters that he charged you for, if not he should be reported.
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My dad is still living but my mom is receiving veterans benefits. She is in dementia/alz. facility. We went with an attny that ONLY did veterans benefits. Cost quite a bit but it was worth it. They did everything for us. Filled out all paperwork and we started receiving the checks within about 3 to 4 mos. but they retro-activated it to the date we applied. It was very much worth the $1800 we paid them. As others have said though....you can go to the veterans administration. As it is my understanding.....the veteran had to have seen combat at least one day in order to receive benefits. Here is a link to VA: http://www.va.gov/opa/persona/dependent_survivor.asp. I would also call your local Bar Assoc. to see who does only veterans/spouse benefits. Good Luck and God Bless.
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Dad's illness was heart disease due to malnutrition suffered as a POW .
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That's a good point about checking to see if your dad died of a service connected condition. That's a determination that also goes through the VA, not just yours or even a doctor's word and is like going through the pension process. However, if you are successfully, your mom would be eligible for Dependents Indemnity Compensation as well as potentially additional medical benefits. Seeing as your dad was a WWII vet, you'd have to show that something that happened to him decades before or a medical condition he developed back on active duty contributed to or caused his death.

There is some general confusion about the a difference between state veterans homes and homes run by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. State vet homes sometimes do permit spouses to enter, but it depends. Where we live, it is possible but the wait list for an unaccompanied spouse is extremely long. VA nursing homes are only for veterans with service connected disabilities that combine to 70% or more based on the VA's rating system.
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I went to a meeting for info about the monthly income from the Dept. of Veteran Affairs. We were told this is very tricky going thru the application. If the correct info or not enough info is listed, you may not get it. Also, just because you apply doesn't mean your entitiled. You have to have been enlisted during a war or conflict. This company "Veterans Financial" can take you thru the process and make sure all your Ts are crossed for no cost.
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As the spouse of a living WWII veteran (as well as Korea and Vietnam), she should have been receiving benefits as soon as she filed his death certificate. You need to go to www.va.gov and search for "benefits", and filing for disability death benefits. It seems strange, but the disability is taken out first of the payments he was due, then given back. Did he retire after WWII, or did he complete a full 20 years? One would have had to pay into the SBP (Surviving Benefits Plan) back in the WWII days, so you need to contact the VA and the DOD (Department of Defense). I cannot believe this was not done prior to his death. Good luck!
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In My case mom did a lot of digging to get the right rep to help. Also when dad died they had to say that his death was service connect. At that time dad had been gone for ten years, however mom got reimbursed for back pay and her monthly amount increased. My wife works in the VA home In Missouri and claims that only retired veterans only may live there.This may be a state to state deal, not sure.It is definately worth checking into.Veterans still pay but it is about a third of what regular homes would be and the care and facilities are unbelievable.
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I just went through this with my mom (dad was a WWII vet) one thing I found out is the vet had to have been on active duty DURING the war (he had to have served at least one day during a declared war). My dad was , he was stationed in Japan in 46. My uncle who was also a WWII vet was not , so my aunt was not entitled to any benefits. Although my mom passed away during the process it could be a benefit she is entitled to and very much worth looking into. It can take up to a year but if she qualifies I was told it is retroactive to when you apply. Whoever you go to for assistance will be able to tell you what you need. I was lucky that the assisted living facility mom was moved to had a firm for us to contact and help us at know charge. The law also just changed and there is a "look back" period of I believe 3 years. Good luck.
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If your dad was a member of American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, etc, he was already part of organizations your mom might feel most comfortable with you dealing with, seeing as there was already a relationship with one or more. Most major veterans organizations operate what are called "Veteran Service Offices" to assist veterans, free of charge, with pension or disability compensation claims. Your mom would fall under the "pension" portion. To be clear about this, you, your mom, or your dad do/did not need to be a member of one of these organizations for your mom to receive assistance from one or more of them. You don't get better help by joining either.

Because the pension process can be confusing, you might want to approach one of these organizations, sit down with a National Service Officer, and get some help getting the forms filled out and compiling all the necessary paperwork. However, if you're more intrepid, you could also do it yourself because, after all, it's not rocket science. In order for a VSO to help your mom, you or your mom would have to sign a limited Power of Attorney enabling that organization to address the VA on your mom's behalf.

One of the benefits of having a VSO do this for you is that they have access to the VA's systems and can give you insight into how the process is proceeding. They can also tell you more reasonably what to expect in terms of timeframe to a decision. Alternatively, sometimes a VSO or one of their NSOs aren't as knowledgable or helpful as they make out to be when you meet with them. This is particularly true with county veterans offices. You can get stellar or you can get cellar, and that's true with any organization you approach for help.

Yes, you will need your dad's discharge paperwork (won't be a DD-214 seeing as he probably discharged before they were created but will be a service specific form), most likely his death certificate, and definitely the marriage license for starters. There may be other documents required as well, but we're not very familiar with this particular VA process.

If you cannot find your dad's discharge paperwork, you most likely get a copy through the National Archives in St. Louis, MO:
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/

You might ask for copies of his personnel and medical files while you're at it.
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Disabled Vets can help too!
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We are going through the paperwork for this right now for my mother, who is in an assisted living. Your local nursing homes might have information about if there is help available for applying. In the Seattle area, the Masonic organization has volunteers who assist with that. I believe they have groups in other locations around the country as well.

You will need their marriage license, (I don't know what happens if they were divorced and/or this was a 2nd marriage), his death certificate, her proof of all income, receipts for everything that goes towards her medical care (include things such as foot care, lotions, and compression stockings...things you may take for granted), and she must not have assets more than $80,000. It's good to get help because you get one shot at the application...no second chances. If you are buying anything that is medical, it has to come from her account, not yours. I think even your gas when you take her to the doctor might be able to be included but not sure. The government is very particular.

Good luck and blessings to you.
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She is entitled to Aid and Attendance from the VA. YOu have to write or go to your closest VA. Fill out papers and it takes a long time to get it. Approximately 6 months. But if he was a WWII vet she is definitely entitled. I have VA benefits for my husband. He did not serve during war so he does not get Aid andAttendance, but he gets 10 hours of free care. Also the spouse is in titled to live in a VA home. You pay part, but a lot is paid for. It is a really big help to me. Look up VA on your computer and call them right away! You will need his discharge papers from the Service branch. If you don't have it, you can apply for a copy.
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Hopefully one of these article in the link below will answer your question, if not, contact the Veterans Administration.

https://www.agingcare.com/Veterans-Assistance
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