Department of veterans affairs aid attendance program

While all veterans are deserving of every protection we can offer them, special attention must be paid to certain groups of veterans who are particularly vulnerable to abuse. These ill intentioned organizations seek to take advantage of gaps and loopholes in the system to separate veterans from their hard-earned savings with promises of long term care that often do not deliver as promised. Unlike service organizations such as The American Legion which provide services free of charge to veterans and their families, these organizations charge fees, often substantial, to the veterans and can deplete hard earned savings and place these vulnerable veterans in a far worse position than they would otherwise be entitled.

While these organizations may be legally entitled to operate, it is unclear as to whether or not they are truly serving the best interests of the veterans and their families. There is little apparent oversight of this field; indeed, given the vast scope of how many organizations exist and how widespread they are, it would be difficult to provide extensive oversight. When VA began tracking pension claims separately in their Monday Morning Workload Report in October of , there were 55, pension claims pending.

Make sure you send the application to the center assigned to the state where the veteran or spouse lives. Sending a carefully completed application with no missing forms or documents can speed up the process. The application approval process is different for everyone but in most cases, you can expect it to take around nine months from the date you submit it until approval. Many families can't afford to pay for care out of pocket while they wait for the pension to be approved and funded.

Fortunately, once the VA approves the application, benefits are retroactive to the original filing date. We are paid by our participating communities, therefore our service is offered at no charge to families. A copay for Homemaker and Home Health Aide services may be charged based on your VA service-connected disability status. Services are based on your assessed needs. Talk with a VA social worker to find out what specific help you may be able to receive.

For example, an aide may be able to come to your house several times a week or just once in a while. You can continue to receive an aide's services for as long as you need extra help with your daily activities.

You can use a Veteran Decision Aid for Care at Home or in the Community to help you figure out what home care services or long term care services may best meet your needs now or in the future. There's also a Caregiver Self-Assessment. It can help your caregiver identify their own needs and decide how much support they can offer to you.

Having this information from your caregiver, along with the involvement of your care team and social worker, will help you reach short-term and long-term care decisions.