ptsd Aid And Attendance/homebound

[wkeahey]

hi all, Sorry this is so long! I am new to this forum but seems like there is a lot of information to be learned. I would appreciate any help or advice I can get here. First let me say I am the wife of a 100% P&T disabled vet. He is 100% for PTSD(bipolar). His condition is very severe not only mental but he also had a motorcycle wreck about 3 years ago which left his lungs permanently damaged and declining. He was awarded SSDI and then in august of this year he was given his 100% through the VA.

He is now at the point that he requires ongoing care. I have talked to the VA both the social worker and his PCP they have both recommended the nursing home which is not an option. He is only 59 years old and some days are fairly good . I work full time 12 hour rotating shifts so he is alone some parts of the days and while alone he has taken his meds at the wrong time, eaten 3 lbs of chocolate at once, almost burned the house down twice, driven and had some minor fender bender(no law involved), gotten lost in the house and fallen a couple of times. Last week when we saw his PCP and I begged for some kind of home health to come in a couple of hours a day she said that was not provided by VA. But sent me to the VSO to file for Aid and Attendance and homebound. When we talked to our VSO she said that this would pay for me to get a private provider to come in and she thought it would be quickly approved. She also sent me back to his PCP and physiatrist with letters to complete and send back to her.

I guess my question is -- what is Homebound and aid and attendance? Will I be able to afford private care. also I thought the goal was to allow and help veterans to be able to function as independent as possible without nursing home care. Any help or advice is appreciated. I must be missing the big picture

[Testvet]

The VA will help a disabled vet with quality of life issues thru the Voc Rehab program, with stuff like equipment for hobbies, dentures if the vet doesn't have VA dental, home health aides, like shower stools ramps for wheel chairs etc, they do not provide a home health nurse to babysit. Find someone that needs a room in exchange for staying with your husband, there are a lot of people on SS that would probably do it in exchange for room and board, if not you might end up needing to place him in a group home if you can't find someone to watch him, I don't think aid and attendance will pay for full time help, it would help off set the cost of having another person live in your home.

[wkeahey]

Thanks Testvet for your response. I really do not need anyone full time just about 2 hours a day for 14 days (that is how my work schedule is)a month. Just someone to make sure that he has something to eat and his medicine is taken. The rest of the time I have neighbors and children who will check on him and also I call about every 2 hours. It's just that sometimes he thinks he has taken his medicine or eaten and that is not the case. Or maybe to take him to the store or to a Dr's appointment. So I am hoping to get a home health aide. right now medicare is paying for a nurse to come at least once a week to check on him.

[Pete53]

Thanks for sticking with your Veteran. I don't know if you live in a big city or a rural area. There are a lot of things you can do and the VA should pay more for a Veteran in your husbands condition.

Visiting Nurses have a program that some one can drop by and check meds and I know that if you look around you may be able to find help from Church or even Veterans Groups. I know its a hassle and the VA is not much help but you can find things if you have the patience to look.

Good Luck

[Guest Berta]

This veteran should certainly send his VARO a letter requesting A & A or the Housebound award-

Does your closest VAMC have a day treatment program?

This was a God send when my husband had a stroke on top of his 100% PTSD. He too almost burned the house down and could not be left alone.

The VA van would pick him up-we are about 20 miles from the Bath VAMC and three days a week he would stay in the Day treatment program with other vets for about 6 hours a day.

I was a livestock farmer and this gave me the time I needed-

from Jan to April I was in the barn every two hours , many times unable to leave the barn all night when my lambs were being born-when he was awake during the day-I would worry every time I was with the livestock-if he had fallen or turned on the stove and left something burning.

I suggest that if the VA does not have this program- to read over carefully what VA is looking for to award A & A or Housebound and this way you can shape the claim well. They should have considered him for SMC (Special Monthly Compensation) which A & A and SMC is part of- when they awarded the 100%.

They probably did but denied and it will state why- these are the things that you have to tell them about-if they stated he was not eligible for A & A or a

ny type of SMC at that time.

If any doctor has stated he is Housebound or in need of A & A-

that is excellent evidence and they will accept a statement from you too. Your VSO is right.

Here are the HB and A & A regs-

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:YrNa2...&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

The rates for A & A or HB are found here:

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp02.htm

100% SC for vet with one spouse $2528 p/m

Housebound is the "S" award----------vet and spouse $2813 ( 285 more p/m)

Regular A & A (there are higher levels too) is under the "l" award:

vet with spouse $ 3,112 p/m---$ 584 p/m more-

That might be enough to hire someone you trust to come in during the week when you need them.

All Hands! Please check my math and the way I figured this out-

I sure dont want to mislead anyone on these amounts-

Edited January 23, 2006 by Berta