Does anyone know how long the process takes for getting my 93-year-old dad into a bed at the VA hospital? He has not had his care there but is a veteran. Does he have to be on mass health? We are bringing him home today, not sure how that will work out. At least we have this option. I feel alot of doom about bringing him home. It is very stressful. We will do our best.
After he fell my sister ran did much to try to make this happen.. finally got the number for this state veterans to office..
He is ineligible. Cause he recieved veterans disability benefits through the years so he is capped on anymore benefits and his assets r too high.. if he had been a financially insecure veteran he would have qualified for a veteran home.. that is fair. The veteran home he had selected years ago looks like a very nice place with very good care....bummer they all aren't like that. She got the veteran phone number to call by asking a veteran
Do you mean a Veteran ( VA) retirement community/nursing home OR, do you mean a VA Hospital ? For many VA " retirement communities/nursing homes the wait can be lengthy. Some VA "hospitals " have different pt. care areas such as for " palliative care", or " hospice". So..... I really suggest that you best answer(s) are going to come from calling a VA hospital or Veteran Retirement/Nursing Home (s) that are near you and asking them to explain their processes for admission, requirements, cost(s), wait times , other criteria.
Or you can go by a VA hospital and speak with them. They are usually very helpful with information. You will need certain veteran documents for your father such as honorable discharge papers ( forms) etc and the VA systems can best tell you about these. In the meantime, please practice good self care for yourself and other family members...... This is indeed a time of grief about the changes and displacement that aging and illness bring. Best regards..
As said Hospice at home requires someone be there 24/7. Thats either family or you hire aides. Once admitted you get a Nurse maybe 2x a week. And aide maybe 3x a week for an hour to bathe the person. You maybe able to get an aide for longer than that. Depends on how much staff that Hospice has.
Unless you hire an aide, family does most of the work.
My friends husband was in the service for 2 yrs, one of those years was in Viet Nam. He had Dementia and needed more care than his wife could give. He applied for the VA home 45 min away. They take by need, I think. Meaning those whose disabilities are military related get care first. He was placed in LTC until a bed came open. He passed there.
Best thing you can do quickly is locate a local VA hospital or American Legion or VFW group that provides these kinds of services. They can tell you more quickly what your options are. There are folks at these services who specialize in assisting Veterans and are much more knowledgeable and up to date with the issues.
The qualification process varies by individual, but will be quicker if you locate your father's DD 214 before applying.
Searc for VA Hospitals or VA offices in Woburn, MA; then call and ask what qualification processes are available at that office.
Some states have offices at the County or State level as well.
I echo Barb's questions. Why are you bringing him home? Did you tell the discharge planners it would be an unsafe discharge?
"We decided the next step would be hospice at his own house. He is very heavy to lift and has lost strength throughout his body."
So he's on hospice at his house? Who's staying with him 24/7 and lifting him? YOU?
"Right now hes at home and it is exhausting caring for him. We need professional help."
Yes. Why did you bring him home without professional help?
"We do not want him in a nursing home as we heard their terrible. Not enough staff and subpar care."
So here you now are, without any help, correct? Are you now living at his house to be the live-in caregiver?
I may have missed it, but how/why did you take all of this on? You got input from this forum nearly a month ago, and appear to have ignored it. What do you expect now?
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/veterans-eligibility-va-nursing-home-care.html
Not any Veteran can get into a VA "home". (pretty sure the requirement is the Veteran needs to be classified as 100% Service Connected disability. That can be established with a search of his Service records. It will be determined by where and when he (or she) served and "injuries" sustained during service) This can be established by contacting the VA or contacting your local Veterans Assistance Commission. This service is FREE when using either of these options.
Why are you accepting discharge to your home if you have misgivings, and have a not-so-great relationship with your dad?
Have you told the discharge planners this is an unsafe discharge?
Many years ago, a wise discharge planner told me NEVER to accept discharge home; facility to facility placement gets you past the waiting lists.