[PCAFC Question]

10 hours ago, jamescripps2 said:

At this time it seems that the attitude of the PCAFC caregiver program is to see what they can do to deny the veteran when the attitude should be to see what they can do to get the veteran enrolled into the program.

You never give up! If you appeal using the HLR or the supplemental claims, the very same people, the VHA, are going to deny you again. I suggest that you take your claim straight to the BVA. The BVA has nothing to do with the VHA but rather, they come under the VBA, and that is where you will find justice.

I don't know the particulars of your service but evidently you are not a legacy veteran in the program. If you are indeed not a legacy participant, you would file on a VA form 10182 Decision Revue Request.

True, the Board has a backlog, but if your medical records contain all that you claim, it will be the quickest path to a granted decision. The Board generally does not fool around and they do consider the evidence of record to make an equitable decision. You can look up my decision by going to the BVA decision search site https://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=bvadecisions&_ga=2.77268117.1265507262.1648799257-1511624019.1640929699  Then enter the Citation Nr: A22011682.

Citation Nr: A22011682
Decision Date: 06/22/22	Archive Date: 06/22/22
DOCKET NO. 210903-192826

In the meantime you might consider filing on loss of use of a foot if you do have drop foot and you wear an afo brace. Also, you might consider filing for A&A

im not sure what a legacy veteran is to be honest... im a desert shield/ desert storm era veteran the program just opened up to my group 1 oct... my wife and i have been waiting for this for a decade... and now that its here its still out of reach lol. its pathetic you fight an enemy for your country and you think you made it... but then the real fight begins... fighting pencil pushing bureaucrats and political crap for whats owed to you...

 

[PCAFC Question]

2 hours ago, jamescripps2 said:

The easiest way to navigate this site is to use the blue navigation bar at the top of the page. It is highlighted in bold blue. Clicking on your content and your activity streams should get you to where you need to be fairy quickly.

ok well after reading your story and the fact that we share the same rubber stamping crew (i also use the Nashville hospital as its the closest... and that is a 4 hour round trip for me) i should just skip all of the VHA and get on the waiting list for a bva review and hope... i did the 2 interviews and the very next day after the second one the denial showed up in myhealthyvet notes... i have not received it yet in the mail.

the reasons they gave were (cut and paste)

LOCAL TITLE: CSP DENIAL NOTE
STANDARD TITLE: CAREGIVER CERTIFICATE
DATE OF NOTE: OCT 27, 2022@12:13 ENTRY DATE: OCT 27, 2022@12:13:24
AUTHOR: DAVIS,DANA L EXP COSIGNER:
URGENCY: STATUS: COMPLETED
*** CSP DENIAL NOTE Has ADDENDA ***
Caregiver Support Program Denial Note
Denial date:
10/27/2022
Denied from the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
The person being denied is the Veteran.
Name of Primary Family Caregiver:
Julia Burgess
The reason for denial is the Veteran or service member does not require
personal care services for a minimum of 6 continuous months based on an
inability to perform an ADL and/or a need for supervision, protection or
instruction.
The reason for denial is participation in the Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers was deemed not in the Veteran's best
interest.
BURGESS, GRANT A CONFIDENTIAL Page 4 of 24

 

brother... i cannot get in or out of a bath, i cant use the catheters myself, i cannot get on or off the toilet alone and i cant dress myself... i cant cook i cant drive, i fall constantly and cant get back up, i have ended up in the local ER with poison control on the line because i took the wrong meds... im a serious mess...  without my wife's help i have no idea what would become of me... here is the REAL problem... they didnt even look at my problems!! i was shifted to permanent and total in 2016... they didnt even look at my records... they didn't look at my xrays or mri's of my back, they didnt look back to where my diagnoses were found... they started looking about the time i stopped going to the VA for care... when covid hit the scene they would not allow my wife and little boy both to accompany me... i cant get there and get through my appointments without my wife... i moved here because my doctors at the VA up north said i would greatly benefit from living in a milder climate (we are from near buffalo ny) we don't have family here and i have ptsd and dont get around very well so its not like i have hobbled around town making friends here!!!! im NOT leaving my child with anyone... its 2022 and i have seen what happens to kids in the care of others xxxx that!! i have gone without care on many things because of their policy... i have a tooth that hurts so bad i cant close my mouth all the way... i started going back this summer when they would allow my little boy to come in with a mask on... now he cant come again because they are back to the 1 "guest" thing again... she isnt my guest he is... she is my lifeline and i cant be there without her literally!!!  dont know what to do... should i do a bva review or just give up?!?!! the other thing is they dont look at ANY of the records i have sumbitted from my local doctor, the local ER or any of the choice program doctors i see... 

 

 

EVIDENCE CONSIDERED TO MAKE THE DECISION
We based this decision on the following records:
Veteran Intake, dated 10/02/2022.
Veteran Assessment, dated 10/06/2022.
Veteran Functional Assessment, dated 10/26/2022.
Caregiver Assessment, dated 10/06/2022.
Primary Care Collaboration, dated 10/17/2022.
VA Medical Records, dated 07/18/2019-10/26/2022

 

 

 

[PCAFC Question]

17 hours ago, jamescripps2 said:

Burg, Type my name, jamescripps2, into the search box at the top right side of this page to access and read my post here on hadit pertaining to the CPAFC caregiver program. You will find many answers to your questions about the caregiver program from someone that has been through the application and appeal process from stem to stern.

I am also located in TN. My healthcare is provided by VAMC Nashville. You can also listen to archived podcast that are available at exposedvet.com. Those podcast are also also accessible through a link here at hadit, The podcast feature my advice on appeals as related to the caregiver program. Much information is also posted on my website, (listed below), about the CPAFC fiasco.

vatheredneckway.wordpress.com

Thank you so much... this site is a very good resource but its also very complex... and im not the brightest bulb in the string these days...  it took me 10 minutes to find the post i made last night! i tried to find info on it here but everything i ran across seemed to be from before they changed the program... thank you so much!!

[PCAFC Question]

i am 90% schedule and rated 100% IU i was made T&P december of 2016

I have pretty severe ptsd and all of the trimmings, migraines that are deabilitating, nightmares, sleep issues, anger control issues, confusion, short term memory is totally gone...

i have a pretty messed up left knee that i cant bend very far, because of the knee on the left i have prematurely worn my right hip from limping for years so i cont bend that leg very well at the hip

i have 5 bad discs/vertebra in my lower back L1 l2 l3 l4 and s1... one of them pushes against a nerve root which caused all sorts of seemingly unrelated issues and some of them are getting worse... i cannot urinate without being cathed... the last year i am starting to have foot drop issues and have had a few bad falls... one of them led to skinning my good knee (lol) to the fat layer and i ended up with a pretty bad staph infection... one of my problems is i have always self cathed standing... i have never been able to do it sitting... i end up bleeding... since my stability has deteriorated i cannot do the cath while standing so my wife has to do this for me 4 times a day... i cannot get up off the toilet without help... ( i forgot to mention that a fall a few years ago tore up my right shoulder so pulling myself up isnt really pretty either anymore... i cant even take a plate out of the cupboard anymore) i walk with a knee brace, back brace and a long walking stick (a cane hurts my back)

i have not been able to put on my own socks shoes, underwear or pants for 10 to 15 years 

i need help getting into and out of the bed, i cant do showers because its too risky with the falling... i cant get into or out of the tub without help.

i cant wash my lower half, i can wash my face hair and front of my upper body

i cannot do my own meds... last time i "helped" my wife by getting my own meds i accidently took 3 sleeping pills (im supposed to take 1/2 of 1 per day) instead of the 3 Acetaminophen tablets i am supposed to take 3 times a day for pain and swelling... my wife ended up having to call poison control who called the local ER ahead while we were enroute to give them instructions... i did them myself because were were late for church and i was trying to help...

i cannot cook because i forget things like turning the stove off... things of this nature.

we had the phone consultation and it all seemed to go well

we had the video interview and that too went well

2 days later they denied us because "it was not in the best interest of the veteran" "i do not need 6 months of care at this time" its like lady... if it were not for wife helping me with daily living crap i would be dead... im just not sure where to go from here... should i appeal? which way? should i just forget it?

my wife has been doing this stuff for me... dressing me, putting on my braces, handling business, getting me to my appointments, driving, the past couple years she has had to step up even more caths, help walking  etc etc etc for 12 years... lets put it this way after i nearly burned the house down boiling an egg she had to quit her job... she was pennalized by the IRS that year because she didnt have health insurance and was not eligible for the obamacare... thats how long she has had to carry my useless ass!

what should i do? if im not in need of help i would hate to see the person who is!!!

[where do i send the VA Form 21-4140]

thanks guys!!

[where do i send the VA Form 21-4140]

i moved about 10 months ago from the western new york area where i went to the bath and buffalo VAMC system. i am now in the Tennessee valley system with the Nashville VAMC as my overseeing hospital. where do i send my annual IU form to show i have not been working? i have not received a form from them for it and i have as of yet to receive a form for my clothing allowance so i printed them both off and filled them out. i assume the clothing allowance form goes to the physical therapy brace and prosthetic shop but i have no clue who to give the IU form to :)

[can someone explain this one to me?]

I will look into all those things :) where do i send that 21-2140-1 form? i moved to a new state after i had my comp and pen exams... do i send it or take it to my new VA system or do i send it to my original one? or should i just do both to be sure?

[can someone explain this one to me?]

8 minutes ago, Gastone said:

The IU isn't P & T, it's your SC's. Some diligent VA Rater, while reviewing your C-File, probably for a possible reduction, realized that your SC's will never improve. Good for YOU, right? You should also see a No Future Exams Scheduled. That is, unless you File a New Secondary Claim.

Semper Fi

Fi

yep it says that on the commisary letter "This total disability is considered permanent. You are not scheduled for future examinations." and under the benefits letter (the one i was trying to print to take to the DMV for my disabled plates) 

Include the information in this row	You are considered to be totally and permanently disabled due solely to your service-connected disabilities:	Yes

[can someone explain this one to me?]

Thank you Tbird! this is pretty awesome news for us... i have a 17 month old son who will now be able to get an education and healthcare!

[can someone explain this one to me?]

i have a combined rating of 90% mostly bone and joint issues... i was granted IU last july... i ended up getting a VA loan and buying a house in a warmer climate (i moved from the PA NY border area to a little town between nashville and memphis tennessee) mostly because of my pain and inability to walk in the cold weather. My computer was damaged in the move i just got back into ebenefits yesterday and when i logged in i find that apparently in December my 90% non permanent rating was changed to P&T, i have a letter there for the commissary privileges that says no future exams are scheduled... how can i be IU and P&T? is this a mistake?