What criteria for veterans with disable spouse?

[Buck52]

Are they extra compensation for a 100% P&T Veteran  who has a disable spouse on total SSD and over age 63

Example if a veteran is 100% disabled P&T and his spouse becomes 100% disabled  and the veteran is unable to help his spouse because of his S.C. Disabilities  ,,,,> is there help from the VA ?

If so what would the veteran file a claim on?what forms #? or do they increase the Veterans compensation   even if that Veteran is receiving SMC S & K And SS Retirement.

Anybody know?

Thanks 

[Berta]

Buck-I am having problems here today-and the site for me has slowed down-

We have discussed your question before here but my search at hadit for those links was incomplete because it was taking so much time-

However I googled and very quickly found this lawyer's article:

https://www.disabilitysecrets.com/resources/disability/veterans-disability/benefits-spouse-family.htm

Here is my Google search  wording "100% SC vet and disabled spouse what benefits".

Much will pop up for you but I haven't l;ooked at the rest of the search results because hadit is slow for me today and I also have been knocked off line here many times already today-

Probably our hadit posts on this or under Aid and Attendance for spouses will pop up if you use the google search feature.

 

 

 

[Buck52]

Roger that Ms berta

I didn't realize the VA would help on issues like this!

Paying for a caregiver is astronomical expensive to say the least  and from the 100% pay on Veterans comp barley pays the Bills as it is.

[Carl the Engineer]

"If the veteran’s spouse is a patient in a nursing home, or if the spouse is blind, nearly blind, or disabled so as to require regular assistance from another person, the monthly increase in the veteran’s payment is $286 for a veteran who is rated permanently disabled. The monthly payment is proportionately less for veterans with a disability rating between 30 and 90 percent."

The above is from the link Berta posted.

Buck,

This is what I receive for helping my disabled wife.  I am at 80% and I get an extra $122 a month.  I filled out a VA form, had her doctor do his part and I did put in my own narrative of what I do for my wife, i.e., help her out of bed 100%, cook for her 50%, help bath 50%, etc. etc.  This is the only thing through the VA for my situation that I know of.

I do pay out of pocket for a cook/cleaning lady 1-3 times a week depending on my work schedule.  Currently about $600 a month.  And, just so you know, its hard to get good help.  And lock your prescriptions up when they are "helping" out.  Just sayin..  Your fired.  

You being 100% there is a lot more for you with insurance etc., when it comes to long term care from what I read in Berta's link.  I will be keeping that in mind when I get a little older.  LOL...  Tricare for life in less than three years for me.

Anyway,

Thanks Berta for the link,

And I hope  you get some much needed help, Buck,

Hamslice

 

[john999]

I am P&T plus HB.  However, my wife is not in such good shape herself.  She has a problem with one of her eyes.  Something called fourth nerve root palsy.  What it means for her is that her eyes do not work together and she has double vision.  This has caused her much grief and really hurt her self esteem and self confidence.  When she drives she must have special glasses and even these do not help on the freeway or where traffic is heavy and she much change lanes.  The thing is that she is supposed to be helping to drive me to the VA and to doctor's appointments etc.   I wonder if I could get help for her.  I could not get help for myself even though I have taken bad falls in the last three weeks due to the pills I take.   I remember when I asked the VA what they could do for me if my wife had to check into a nursing home at some point.  I was told to get a room next door to her.   You know I have private long term care for her but I don't want to use it up until I have to do that since I only get five years.  I have it for myself as well and when that run out the VA is most definitely on the hook for that service.  I would rather just check out than use that service.  You know even with 100%, HB and a couple of SMC awards the amount I get is so low it is more of an insult than anything else.   My wife and I could not possibly live on my VA money alone.    The money I get from the VA has allowed me to set aside considerable money to invest and buy me and the wife a couple of annuities and other private investment options, so we don't have to beg in the streets when times get tough.   That is really the key to learn about investing and estate planning so regardless of what Uncle S*&T plans for us we will really be able to take care of ourselves.    Planning is key and if you don't have  a plan for your spouse and yourself then the state has a plan for you,  but you won't like their plan.

[broncovet]

This is an excellent question, and one many of us (disabled Vets) face:  The spouse is disabled also.  

In addition to those already mentioned, the "caregiver act" recently was raised to include Vietnam Era Vets also.  AARP talks about it a little:

https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2018/veterans-caregivers-new-program.html

Also, the DAV:

https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2018/new-va-mission-act-expands-caregiver-assistance-to-pre-9-11-veterans/

While this may sound crazy, it makes sense to me:  You can be the caregiver for your wife, and your wife can be the caregiver for you.  

    Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but this may work in actual practice, at least some of the time because often husbands and spouses have different disabilities.  

    For example, my wife can bend over just fine and pick up stuff on the ground.  I cant barely if  at all, do that.  However, she has prostrating migraines, and I have to offer her water..and sometimes take her to ER, or she could die of dehydration.  We often joke we are "a half of a person".  It often takes both of us to do what one healthy person could do.    Sometimes that includes "reminding" one another to do it.  I forget to take my pills.  My wife, tho her memory isnt all that great, has incredible memory remembering to take her pills.  

    The pill box reminder doesnt work all that well for me, in part, because I forget to fill up the pill box.  I think the reason I dont remember to take many of my pills is because I can not notice that much difference when I take them or dont take them.  In other words, if I had pain, and the pain meds reduced the pain, I could remember to take THOSE, but only if they worked.  (The pain itself reminds you to take the pills.)

     However, the VA has "pretty much eliminated" prescribing pain pills for me, even tho I have documented pain.  (Bone on bone on xray, showing real pain, as opposed to "undocumented pain" where the only symptom is patient reported pain.  Now, I am not accusing anyone of lying about pain to get pain meds, but there have been people do that before.  So, at least that is one good thing..sort of..my pain is documented by medical evidence of xrays).  

    I get tramadol "at most", and absolutely no vicodin, ever.  About 5 or so years ago, they sent me 90 vicodin per month, without me even really asking.  (Way, way more than I needed).  The pain is worse now, and, instead of getting more pain meds, I get cut off.  Now how does that make sense?  

    Yes, I completely get the problem...people get some kind  of injury..and are prescribed vicodin.   Then, they cut off the vicodin after a few months, so people turn to heroin or other street drugs.  This is a huge, huge problem.  I think VA's policies exacerbate the problem.  If people have pain, then they should be able to get vicodin..this is far better than street drugs.  Of course, vicodin is a problem also, because it has a lot of tylenol and is hard on the liver.  

      I have never abused vicodin.   I take it only when the pain is severe.  Still, I got cut off.  Why?  VA policies/politics, and nothing to do with me.  People should have a right to go to the  doc for pain meds, and, yes, Im well aware that can be abused.  

      Its difficult, however, to abuse prescription pain meds at VA, tho.  Here is the reason.  If I went to my VA and were prescribed vicodin, there is a national record of it, and I cant go to another VA without that doc alos knowing about that prescription.  

      This isnt true with private health care.  You can go to 50 different docs, and tell them all you need pain meds, and they wont know the others prescribed them also.  

       Of course, prescription pain meds can be abused by using a combination of VA, and private care prescriptions.  This is why we need a national data base, so any doc we go to knows whether or not you have gotten a recent prescription.  

       I personally think that a person has a right to pain treatment.  Unfortunately, if you assert that right, you are labeled a "drug seeker", and once you get that label, its almost impossible to shake it.  So, we live in pain.  

       Now, I do think its unrealistic for patients to think docs can/will remove ALL pain, tho they can do that for a short period, such as during surgery.  We cant/should be on that hard surgery stuff long term, tho some people try just that.  

        I guess what  Im saying is that "non addicted" people have rights, also.  I dont like that all the addicts have made it very difficult for us non addicts, as medical persons automatically red flag us if we "ask" for pain meds.  So, I rarely, if ever, ask.  Its not fair that I have to live in pain because too many others are addicted, and they cant/wont be able to tell if I am in that "addicted" category also.  

        I actually "hate" vicodin.  It makes me constipated.  So, I only take it when the pain is truly severe, as I know I will "pay the price", otherwise.  I have not take vicodin for about a year, even tho I know I would benefit by taking it.  VA wont prescribe it.  

[john999]

Bronco

 

                      What you say about the VA's pain management policy sounds like my case.  This is a nationwide VA policy to get all vets with chronic pain off narcotic pain meds so they can wash their hands of us and not be blamed if we OD by accident one day or commit suicide from dealing with pain all the time.  Over 14 years ago VA prescribed me Morphine and 250 Oxycodone a month.  Since that did seem to work the VA has been trying to cut me down to zero pills and pain meds just because some vets abuse their meds and some OD.  I also have been accused of being a drug abuser with no proof to back this up except the VA's bias that all vets who take pain meds are by definition drug addicts and abusers. Now although pain and disability is worse I get 150 pain pills a month and must have six exams and blood and urine tests a year to prove I am not cheating on my drug intake.    There are things my wife can do for me and things I can do for my wife.  I tried to get help beyond HouseBound and was rejected because VA told me I was still able to feed myself and could wipe my own azz.  I had all four limbs thus no help.  Since my wife still is able to cook but unable to drive me to the VA for help she is not disabled enough to get help.  Pretty soon neither one of us will be able to get to appointments so I guess by VA logic we will be cured.  I expect as my wife and I both get older we will both will more disabled.  I am glad I saved and invested my money because we will need it to get help that the VA won't pay for or help us with.  Maybe I can get welfare or food stamps like other beggars and sell the stamps for extra cash to get help to take us to the store or to the VA for treatments.  I am really fortunate to be a vet because people are always thanking me for my service.