Veterans Home Care – One Son Discovers What Help Can and Can’t Be Offered
Being that my father had served during the Korean War, I knew that he would probably qualify, at least as far as service qualifications were concerned, for the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit. As a veteran, I knew that he required some type of home care now. He was on a very limited, fixed income from his pension and Social Security payments, so any financial assistance was going to be significant.
I began researching the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit and learned a lot about it. I also read that it was very important that the veteran not pay or have somebody else assist them in applying for the benefit. This caused me a lot of concern because my father wasn’t in the best mental condition and I didn’t know if he would be able to answer all of the questions accurately anymore.
I also didn’t want to cause any trouble for his application process. I wanted him to have the best opportunity to be approved for this pension program. I also knew that it was going to take several months before he would hear back from the VA, considering how backlogged they are with requests.
At first, I decided to take a hands off approach with regard to this application process. I helped my father get the application, but I stepped back when he began to fill it out. I honestly didn’t know . how much assistance I could give him and not jeopardize his chances of getting the pension.
The facts about receiving help to apply for the Aid and Attendance Benefit for veterans home care for veterans:
For any elderly veteran who may be applying for the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit, there is a stipulation that if they pay for assistance, such as through a third party, in applying for this benefit, they could very well be declined, even if they would’ve qualified otherwise. This is an effort by the VA to undercut unscrupulous financial planners, advisors, lawyers, and other organizations that are charging veterans for assistance in applying for these pension programs.
The major problem is that these individuals are promising guaranteed results, when it is not possible to guarantee that somebody will be approved. However, elderly veterans and their family members may be desperate enough to buy into these promises.
Thankfully, I found out that I could in fact assist my father in filling out the application. He could also receive help from other organizations, as long as they didn’t charge him for their services. If you know a veteran who may require home care and they may qualify for the Aid and Attendance pension, mention it to them and if they require assistance, they can get it, as long as they don’t pay for it.
For more information and to learn about home care for Veterans, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.
