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HISA Grant - Anyone had success?

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Tbird

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My doc said she would put me in for a HISA grant for a walk in tub and a ramp or something for my back steps. I've got lympodema which is causing my legs to swell a lot and my knee is making it hard to get down the steps. I have no experience with this so any thoughts would be great. Currently my washer/dryer are in my basement so my niece does my laundry, but those steps out the back door are just getting tough. If I had the money I would finish the basement put in a bathroom, bedroom and office and move down there and move my niece and family into the upstairs. She takes care of me and it would be great if we could live in the same house. I've got to pay more down on my house before I can sell it. Sorry I digress, so what kind of success have you had with HISA and what should I be aware of.

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Tbird I hadn't had any success but I will tell you what they told me, my doctor and

prosthetic said I would benefit from a stair lift and a walk in tub but I was denied

and didn't push it any farther, but your luck could be better than mines. If you push them 

enough you could get what you need. I just quit with it Good luck

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Apply today Ms T

How can I apply for a V.A. Home Modification grant?

You apply for an SAH or SHA grant by filling out V.A. Form 26-4555 and submitting it to a V.A. regional office.

You apply for a HISA grant by filling out an Application for Assistance and submitting it to a local V.A. medical center.

add a copy from your Dr That would put in for your HISA

download pdf

https://www.wilmington.va.gov/docs/services/prosthetics/HISA_Packet.pdf

There is a lot of BS to go though , but never know your approved if you don't apply.

 

Edited by Buck52
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My 2 cents:

I recommend you find a company that does these..such as the modified bathtub, as they are familiar with what it takes to get this approved at VA.  Remember, there is a financial incentive for them, too, to get you approved, as I promise you they make money on these contracts with VA.  If they have done a bunch of these with Vets in your area, then they probably know what it takes to get the job done to VA specs, also.  

  Im pretty sure they wont remodel your basement, BUT, maybe you could apply for Aid and Attendance if your neice is taking care of you and doing things for you.   The regulations for A and A are rather vague, but you need a doctor to say you need others to help you.  

   While Im not exactly sure, it kind of looked to me like your neice is driving you around, at a minimum.  Im not exactly sure why you dont really like to drive, but it appeared you have health reasons for that.  

Think about that.  If you can not drive, how are you going to take care of yourself:  Buy groceries, go to the doctor, etc., etc.   I think maybe you are "choosing" not to drive, but that is likely a good choice.  

A downside to this, is if you tell your doctor you cant drive, you may get your drivers license taken away.  However, if you are not driving anyway, that may not be a big deal.  

     Remember, regulations permit you to compensate RELATED persons and still get A and A.  Its not necessary that your caretaker be unrelated to get A and A  

     Yes, Im sure A and A is, as usual, a fight with VA, but I can see that would be a battle worth fighting for if it enabled your neice to move in and take care of you.  

Quote
 3.352 Criteria for determining need for aid and attendance and “permanently bedridden.”

(a)Basic criteria for regular aid and attendance and permanently bedridden. The following will be accorded consideration in determining the need for regular aid and attendance ( § 3.351(c)(3): inability of claimant to dress or undress himself (herself), or to keep himself (herself) ordinarily clean and presentable; frequent need of adjustment of any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliances which by reason of the particular disability cannot be done without aid (this will not include the adjustment of appliances which normal persons would be unable to adjust without aid, such as supports, belts, lacing at the back, etc.); inability of claimant to feed himself (herself) through loss of coordination of upper extremities or through extreme weakness; inability to attend to the wants of nature; or incapacity, physical or mental, which requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect the claimant from hazards or dangers incident to his or her daily environment. “Bedridden” will be a proper basis for the determination. For the purpose of this paragraph “bedridden” will be that condition which, through its essential character, actually requires that the claimant remain in bed. The fact that claimant has voluntarily taken to bed or that a physician has prescribed rest in bed for the greater or lesser part of the day to promote convalescence or cure will not suffice. It is not required that all of the disabling conditions enumerated in this paragraph be found to exist before a favorable rating may be made. The particular personal functions which the veteran is unable to perform should be considered in connection with his or her condition as a whole. It is only necessary that the evidence establish that the veteran is so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance, not that there be a constant need. Determinations that the veteran is so helpless, as to be in need of regular aid and attendance will not be based solely upon an opinion that the claimant's condition is such as would require him or her to be in bed. They must be based on the actual requirement of personal assistance from others.

(b)Basic criteria for the higher level aid and attendance allowance.

(1) A veteran is entitled to the higher level aid and attendance allowance authorized by § 3.350(h) in lieu of the regular aid and attendance allowance when all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The veteran is entitled to the compensation authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(o), or the maximum rate of compensation authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p).

(ii) The veteran meets the requirements for entitlement to the regular aid and attendance allowance in paragraph (a) of this section.

(iii) The veteran needs a “higher level of care” (as defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section) than is required to establish entitlement to the regular aid and attendance allowance, and in the absence of the provision of such higher level of care the veteran would require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential institutional care.

(2) Need for a higher level of care shall be considered to be need for personal health-care services provided on a daily basis in the veteran's home by a person who is licensed to provide such services or who provides such services under the regular supervision of a licensed health-care professional. Personal health-care services include (but are not limited to) such services as physical therapy, administration of injections, placement of indwelling catheters, and the changing of sterile dressings, or like functions which require professional health-care training or the regular supervision of a trained health-care professional to perform. A licensed health-care professional includes (but is not limited to) a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, or a physical therapist licensed to practice by a State or political subdivision thereof.

(3) The term “under the regular supervision of a licensed health-care professional”, as used in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, means that an unlicensed person performing personal health-care services is following a regimen of personal health-care services prescribed by a health-care professional, and that the health-care professional consults with the unlicensed person providing the health-care services at least once each month to monitor the prescribed regimen. The consultation need not be in person; a telephone call will suffice.

(4) A person performing personal health-care services who is a relative or other member of the veteran's household is not exempted from the requirement that he or she be a licensed health-care professional or be providing such care under the regular supervision of a licensed health-care professional.

(5) The provisions of paragraph (b) of this section are to be strictly construed. The higher level aid-and-attendance allowance is to be granted only when the veteran's need is clearly established and the amount of services required by the veteran on a daily basis is substantial.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1114(r)(2))

(c)Attendance by relative. The performance of the necessary aid and attendance service by a relative of the beneficiary or other member of his or her household will not prevent the granting of the additional allowance.

Did you miss the semi colons (;) and the term "or", above?  This means that you dont have to have ALL of these things, but you can qualify for A and A with just one of them.   You dont have to NOT be able to feed yourself AND Need frequent adjustment of a prosthetic device AND be bedridden, AND cant take care of the Wants of nature.  My advice is to see if ANY  of these apply to you, and if so, ask your doctor to document them.  

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TB, making contact with the VA Independent Living (IL) Counselor would be a wise move. You can schedule an appointment by filing an E-Ben Voc Rehab application. Usually, within (2) weeks you'll have an appointment date. My Voc Rehab Counselor ended up being my IL Counselor.      The HISA Grant is a (1) Time Deal, currently $6500.00 for primarily bathroom upgrades.  The "Walk-in Tub" will be a problem, may take an Appeal.               Semper Fi

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@broncovet My panic attacks have kept me from driving it's not safe for me or anyone else. I'm not worried about losing my license, the last time I tried to drive my niece was with me I drove for 3 minutes pulled over and we both agreed that would be the last time for me. The panic is bad, but now I just try to remember to relax my body as much as possible and close my eyes it works great for me but only as a passenger :-)

I've made strides in leaving the house, I can now sit in the backyard with Cinder for up to 30 minutes, so that is cool. I can make short trips to the grocery store with my niece and Cinder, my niece keeps me moving when I get disconnected or get into a indecisive loop and start to panic and if my legs and back start to hurt to bad she can finish the shopping for me. She does the primary shopping for me and I have groceries delivered. I can now manage to go out to dinner with the family and Cinder at night if the guys come along without any major overloads. 

My niece cleans my house and does my laundry and keeps me moving through my week - she has been a godsend and has been helping me since she was a teenager and she is going to be 31 soon - she is an amazing woman and a great mom. I am truly blessed to have her in my life, I have no spouse or children the closest sibling to me is 16 years older than me she will be 76 in August. When she was a kid I always tried to make spending time with her and her brothers a priority and when her family fell apart for a bit I took all 5 of them in and it has been a deeply enriching relationship for both of us. 

I will look at ILP and see what kind of huge hassle that will be, I am sure it will not be a smooth process.

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It sounds like you meet the criteria for Aid and Attendance, also known as SMC L to me, especially if your "panic attacks" are service connected.   ILP is also a possibiility, along with HISA.  For ME it does not matter whether its A and A, TDIU, HISA, ILP, or lottery winnings, getting to your goal of moving your neice in sounds like what is important to you.   Unless you are already SMC L, then I suggest you apply.  You can also apply for the others, too, and let VA decide which one(s), if any, you qualify for.  I call it the spagetti method, throw it against the wall and see what sticks.    

Often, for me, the benefit I thought was a "sure thing" did not pan out, and the one I thought as insignificant or even impossible is the one that works, because VA regulations are not all that logical.  Neither are VA employees all the time either.  So benefits WE think we deserve are not the ones VA says we deserve.  

I learned this with my lawyer.  The stuff I thought was a slam dunk, the lawyer never even considered, but found stuff I never heard of before.  

Edited by broncovet
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