"YES, I have a dependent parent(s)." ?

[MKAH]

I hope this is the correct place for this question rather than the CAREGIVER section.  Anyway, here goes.

My father (a 20 year honorably discharged, retired air force veteran) that is now 88 years old, now requires assistance that his wife, my stepmother (also 88 years old) is not able to provide for him as she is also, no longer capable of doing so.

By next week, I will have full power of attorney over my father's healthcare, property, banking & any other assets and liabilities going forward until he passes away.  

While he is currently able to watch TV, dress, bath, groom, cook simple meals and feed himself, he is not able to do the following:

Drive, as he has severe, and uncontrolled vertigo, forgets where he lives and can no longer see in low light conditions. (Soon, I will ask his VA primary care to consider reviewing his health and possibly contacting the DMV regarding suspending his driver's license due to safety concerns).

He is unable to schedule, get to and from, hear or comprehend medical information or directions, get to and from pharmacies for his medications, from any Doctor or healthcare representative he encounters. Or anyone for that matter.

He is not able to pay bills specifically relevant to him (Phone and car, mortgage, payments), understand debt, income, savings or any fiscally related task or topics. (His wife, my stepmother, is currently paying the household bills thru a joint account and his personal liabilities thru his account which she is a signatory on).

His mental acuity is what I personally consider to be notably worse than a person of his age.  Such as him possibly attempting to work on household electrical systems, climb ladders, etcetera.   I visited him yesterday and his land line phone does not function, he does not understand how to use his cell phone, his doorbell does not function, and he cannot hear me knock on his front or rear door, requiring me to enter his house without permission.

He may qualify for a bed in a local VA resident retirement facility, but I want to see how he does with my help before I make that inquiry.

Anyway, this will pretty much be a daily, nearly daily or on demand activity for me, but I will not have him living at my home and I will not be living at his home.   When we reach that point I will find him a comfortable full care facility for his to reside in.

While he does have some days that are better than others, he remains consistently unreliable pertaining to the topics I have described above.

 

After looking around the internet and VA forums, I am not able to determine if he qualifies, and can be listed a dependent parent with the VA which would provide me about $112.00 monthly to me while I care for him.  This would help to offset some of the expenses that I would incur while helping him thru this difficult portion of his long life.

If someone can give me an idea where to look, or let me know if that's even a thing I would be grateful?

Thank You so much.

 

[Berta]

https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/misc/DependentParent.pdf

This next article says however that the dependent parent does not necessarily have to live with the veteran:

https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/virginia/dependent-parent

The site has the application here:
https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21P-509-ARE.pdf

The eligibility requiements for veterans to be in VA Nursing Homes or VA CLCs is in this link:

"Mandatory eligibility is given to the following Veterans:

Veterans who need nursing home care for their service-connected disabilities.
Veterans who are rated 70 percent service-connected or more.
Veterans who have a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
If space and resources are available, other Veterans may be considered.Generally, to receive VA benefits and services the Veteran/Servicemember's discharge status must be under conditions other than dishonorable (e.g., honorable, under honorable conditions, general). However, individuals receiving undesirable, bad conduct, and other types of dishonorable discharges may qualify for VA benefits depending on a determination made by VA."

https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/304#:~:text=Mandatory eligibility is given to,rating based on individual unemployability.

It seems you might qualify for the Dependency allowance but I am not sure how that would be affected by his wife's income.- SSA etc.

Does your father have any service connected disability rating ?

I assume he might get CRDP or CRSC???? After 20 years Ret.,

Maybe not - Was he a Korean War Veteran?

I assume he does get Military Retirement from USAF.

[MKAH]

Thank you Berta, and thank you for the links.

YES, His wife does get SS.  It seems you might qualify for the Dependency allowance but I am not sure how that would be affected by his wife's income.- SSA etc.

Yes, I think so, he gets hearing aids from the VA, but I am not sure of he is actually service connected.  Does your father have any service connected disability rating ?

 Yes, some kind of military retirement,  I assume he might get CRDP or CRSC???? After 20 years Ret.,

No, He was a three tour Viet Nam vet, Maybe not - Was he a Korean War Veteran?

Yes, I assume he does get Military Retirement from USAF.