Happy Saturday to all,
Our meeting with the VA rep to set up mom's fiduciary account was suppose to be yesterday. The rep called in sick so now the meeting is set for next Friday 2/19/2016. I was disappointed as I hoped to have information to share with you on how the process works, but this extra week with give you more time to send in your questions about VA Aid and Attendance Benefits. You can use the link at bottom of article or you can email me at ruthann@palcaregivers.com.
Hope to hear from some more of you as this is a great chance to get you questions answered by a expert, the rep, not me.....
Until Next Time
Take Care
Ruth Anne
Here are my own experiences as both a Professional and Family caregiver. Hoping you will enjoy and benefit from reading. I am a PAL.
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Showing posts with label VA Benefits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VA Benefits. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Tomorrow is VA Meeting Remember to Send Me any Questions
Just a quick reminder, I am meeting with the VA rep in the morning to set up Fiduciary Account. If you have any question you want me to ask her about anything related to Aid and Attendance Benefits send them to me before 9am eastern time Friday the 12.
I will try and get answers for you.
I will try and get answers for you.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Meeting With VA For Fiduciary Account This Week
Hello Everyone,
Well the Super Bowl is over tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and the weather is still not that bad here in Michigan. All this means we are marching ever forward toward spring...hooray !
This week we finally will be meeting with the person from the VA to set up the fiduciary account for my mother's Aid and Attendance Benefits. Now mind you she has been getting monthly benefits since June of last year so that tells you how far behind the VA is in getting stuff done.
For those of you who are working with the VA setting up a fiduciary account may be in your future too. Just what is a fiduciary and why do we need to go through this process? I will try and explain to the best of my knowledge.
When we applied for mom's benefits she was, because of her dementia, deemed unable to manage her finances by the VA. We already knew this as she no longer could remember to even ask about her finances which was quite a change for her. All her life she was sharp as a tack when it came to money. She worked hard and saved her money wisely. She knew where her money was and when things came due etc... Because of her failing eyesight myself or my sister have been helping her with her bills for years but she always knew exactly what was what. Then about a year and a half ago she just stopped showing interest in it. By this time she was living at my sisters and my sister was a signer on her accounts so I guess mom knew in her mind everything was taken care of.
Well the Super Bowl is over tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and the weather is still not that bad here in Michigan. All this means we are marching ever forward toward spring...hooray !
This week we finally will be meeting with the person from the VA to set up the fiduciary account for my mother's Aid and Attendance Benefits. Now mind you she has been getting monthly benefits since June of last year so that tells you how far behind the VA is in getting stuff done.
For those of you who are working with the VA setting up a fiduciary account may be in your future too. Just what is a fiduciary and why do we need to go through this process? I will try and explain to the best of my knowledge.
When we applied for mom's benefits she was, because of her dementia, deemed unable to manage her finances by the VA. We already knew this as she no longer could remember to even ask about her finances which was quite a change for her. All her life she was sharp as a tack when it came to money. She worked hard and saved her money wisely. She knew where her money was and when things came due etc... Because of her failing eyesight myself or my sister have been helping her with her bills for years but she always knew exactly what was what. Then about a year and a half ago she just stopped showing interest in it. By this time she was living at my sisters and my sister was a signer on her accounts so I guess mom knew in her mind everything was taken care of.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Should Parents Pay Their Children For Care?
Do you have loved ones you are caring for? How about grand children? If you are here reading this blog, chances are you are a caregiver.
It's been a few days since I have posted and I am sorry for the delay. I have been caught up in my caregiving duties as well as enjoying time with my precious 16 month old grand daughter, she is such a delight and a welcome refreshment to help make it through the tough times!
Do you visit and post in the online forums such as caring.com or agingcare.com? I have also been doing a lot of reading and posting on these forums lately and find there are so many wonderful people out there doing what we do, caring for a loved one with all that entails and just trying to put one foot in front of the other on the journey we travel.
One subject that has been coming up quite a bit in the forums lately is the debate on whether or not it is proper to ask your parents to pay you to act as their caregiver, provide housing and the like. And the opinions run the gamut. So I thought I would share some of my thoughts as well as how the government feels about the subject.
Many of you have given up so much to care for your parents and do so willingly, out of love. When your parents need intense care or supervision as my mom now needs, you may have moved them into your home in order to provide that care. Many of you have also had to give up outside employment to stay home 24/7.
Some feel that no matter what you have to give up, you should never charge your parents for care, after all they raised you and provided for you for many years. If that is your opinion and you have the financial resources to do so that is fine and I applaud you for your devotion and love. Some however do not have the financial resources to not work. So when their parents need care they have a few options. They can hire a caregiver, put their parent in an assisted living or nursing home or they can work for their parents and provide the needed care. If given the options most parents would likely prefer to have their own family caring for them for as long as that is possible.
Consider what it would cost to put a parent in an assisted living facility. If they need anything other than basic assistance such as meals and general supervision the costs can be $5 to $6 thousand dollars a month. If they need to go to a nursing home the costs can skyrocket to $8 thousand and above. If you were to hire an in home caregiver the cost would be anywhere from $20 to $30 dollars an hour depending on how much care is need and what area of the country you live in. These costs can eat up even a healthy retirement account in no time.
If you are the one providing the care, you may as many people feel, it is only reasonable that you get paid. How much is something you and your parent can work out, which in my experience is very reasonable and so much less than what they would have to pay for outside care. No one should take advantage of their parents and charge them outrageous amounts of money just because they feel they can, this is a form of elder abuse. However no one should question a reasonable amount.
Caring for a parent who is aging is a very tough sometimes full time job. If you have siblings who do not participate in the care they may question you getting paid. In that case you need to make them understand just how much you have given up and how much you do for mom or dad or both. If they are worried about their inheritance, remind them of how fast that will disappear if mom goes to a nursing home.
And the government too feels it reasonable for a family member to be paid for services. Many do not know that Veterans Benefits can be used to pay family members. In most states a medicaid waiver can be uses to pay family caregivers. The government is beginning to realize something that has been obvious for years, and that is, that keeping the elderly at home with family is much more cost effective. They are finally starting to get it.
So if you are caring for mom or dad, grandma or grandpa and you need to be paid, in this person's opinion that is fine. You are working hard, maybe harder than you ever have before. You are also making a better life for your family member, because they are being cared for by someone they know and love. You are doing a good thing. Don't feel guilty!
One important note for paid family caregivers - please have a caregiver contract in place. This is especially important if you are using government benefits to pay your wages. Also this will protect you if in the future your loved one has to go on medicaid and the money to pay you was used during the 5 year look back period. (The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 expanded the look back period from 3 years to 5 years. Almost every state has adopted this or is in the process of adopting this rule). If you do not have a contract the government may look at those payments as gifts and require them to be paid back. The contract will save you in that case. Another good reason to have a care contract in place is if there are any disputes between family members regarding inheritance, we all know how nasty greedy relatives can be. For information on how to structure a care agreement you may want to check out this link click here .
I hope this information helps those of you who are wrestling with this subject. And I would love your feedback. How do you feel about it? What side do you come down on? Please share your thoughts.
Until Next Time
Take Care
Ruth Anne
It's been a few days since I have posted and I am sorry for the delay. I have been caught up in my caregiving duties as well as enjoying time with my precious 16 month old grand daughter, she is such a delight and a welcome refreshment to help make it through the tough times!
Do you visit and post in the online forums such as caring.com or agingcare.com? I have also been doing a lot of reading and posting on these forums lately and find there are so many wonderful people out there doing what we do, caring for a loved one with all that entails and just trying to put one foot in front of the other on the journey we travel.
One subject that has been coming up quite a bit in the forums lately is the debate on whether or not it is proper to ask your parents to pay you to act as their caregiver, provide housing and the like. And the opinions run the gamut. So I thought I would share some of my thoughts as well as how the government feels about the subject.
Consider: What type of care are you providing? What have you had to give up to provide this care? And how do your parents feel about the services you provide?
Many of you have given up so much to care for your parents and do so willingly, out of love. When your parents need intense care or supervision as my mom now needs, you may have moved them into your home in order to provide that care. Many of you have also had to give up outside employment to stay home 24/7.
Some feel that no matter what you have to give up, you should never charge your parents for care, after all they raised you and provided for you for many years. If that is your opinion and you have the financial resources to do so that is fine and I applaud you for your devotion and love. Some however do not have the financial resources to not work. So when their parents need care they have a few options. They can hire a caregiver, put their parent in an assisted living or nursing home or they can work for their parents and provide the needed care. If given the options most parents would likely prefer to have their own family caring for them for as long as that is possible.
Consider what it would cost to put a parent in an assisted living facility. If they need anything other than basic assistance such as meals and general supervision the costs can be $5 to $6 thousand dollars a month. If they need to go to a nursing home the costs can skyrocket to $8 thousand and above. If you were to hire an in home caregiver the cost would be anywhere from $20 to $30 dollars an hour depending on how much care is need and what area of the country you live in. These costs can eat up even a healthy retirement account in no time.
If you are the one providing the care, you may as many people feel, it is only reasonable that you get paid. How much is something you and your parent can work out, which in my experience is very reasonable and so much less than what they would have to pay for outside care. No one should take advantage of their parents and charge them outrageous amounts of money just because they feel they can, this is a form of elder abuse. However no one should question a reasonable amount.
Caring for a parent who is aging is a very tough sometimes full time job. If you have siblings who do not participate in the care they may question you getting paid. In that case you need to make them understand just how much you have given up and how much you do for mom or dad or both. If they are worried about their inheritance, remind them of how fast that will disappear if mom goes to a nursing home.
So if you are caring for mom or dad, grandma or grandpa and you need to be paid, in this person's opinion that is fine. You are working hard, maybe harder than you ever have before. You are also making a better life for your family member, because they are being cared for by someone they know and love. You are doing a good thing. Don't feel guilty!
One important note for paid family caregivers - please have a caregiver contract in place. This is especially important if you are using government benefits to pay your wages. Also this will protect you if in the future your loved one has to go on medicaid and the money to pay you was used during the 5 year look back period. (The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 expanded the look back period from 3 years to 5 years. Almost every state has adopted this or is in the process of adopting this rule). If you do not have a contract the government may look at those payments as gifts and require them to be paid back. The contract will save you in that case. Another good reason to have a care contract in place is if there are any disputes between family members regarding inheritance, we all know how nasty greedy relatives can be. For information on how to structure a care agreement you may want to check out this link click here .
 |
| Dear Ruth Anne, Here's what I think... |
I hope this information helps those of you who are wrestling with this subject. And I would love your feedback. How do you feel about it? What side do you come down on? Please share your thoughts.
Until Next Time
Take Care
Ruth Anne
Saturday, July 11, 2015
VA Benefits In Less Than 3 Months !
On July 7th my mom received her first deposit for VA benefits for aid and attendance.
This was less than 3 months after we applied! Now that is quite good considering they told us it could take 9 months to a year before we saw anything. So I thought I would share the way I went about applying for the benefits in hope that it would help anyone beginning the process. |
| I will try to make this as simple to understand as possible. |
Aid and Attendance Benefits can be used to help pay for care in a facility like assisted living, in home caregivers and the like. These benefits can also be used to pay family caregivers.
Unlike the government website I will make this as simple to understand as possible. I hope it helps.
It's suggested to hand deliver the claim to your local VA office. Ask to speak to a representative and have them look everything over. They will let you know if anything is missing and they will begin your claim for you.
Open the form search page on the government website. CLICK HERE to open in a new window, or copy and paste this link in your browser - http://www.va.gov/vaforms/
- Form 21-534ez
- Form 21-2680
- Form 21-22
- Aid And Attendance Affidavit (see below where to get this form)
Form 21-534ez: Application For DIC, Death Pension and or Accrued Benefits
This form is the one you will use when applying for Aid and Attendance Benefits. You can apply for the veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran.
The first few sections are self explanatory. When completing section II you will find the information you need on the veteran's discharge papers.
Section VII : Your net worth at this point must be below 60,000 for a surviving spouse and this does not include a home, vehicle, furniture or clothing.
Section VIII : This is the section on your monthly income so have all your income sources handy such as social security, retirement benefits, pensions, public assistance etc... when it asks for social security they what the full amount before the medicare deduction, this is listed on your social security statement as the gross monthly amount.
Section IX : Expected Income. Here is where you list your expected income such as interest and dividends or any income not listed in section VIII
Section X : Here you will need to show that your medical expenses including what you pay for care like paying a caregiver, paying assisted living costs and the like along with your insurance premiums if you have supplemental insurance along with your medicare and the premium you pay for medicare part D prescription drug coverage and the deduction for medicare that comes out of you social security. Here you want to make sure to show that the amount of money spent each month on medical costs along with care exceeds their monthly income. If it exceeds the monthly income by $1149.00 or more you will be approved for the full amount of benefits which is $1149.00 a month. But don't make things up - you will need to keep records and prove that you are actually paying out for these services.
The one for whom the claim is being submitted will have to sign a couple of forms and there is a section for witnesses if the claim is being signed by someone else due to the inability of the claimant.
Form 21-2680: This form needs to be filled out by a doctor. At the time we applied for my mom she was in rehab and they were very helpful in getting this filled out in just one day for us. The doctor should fill out the full diagnosis including the need for aid and attendance. If your patient is blind or mostly blind like my mother, this diagnosis will almost automatically get approval for benefits - as will dementia and other illnesses that require regular daily aid.
Form 21-22: Appointment of Veterans Service Organization As Claimant's Representative
I recommend this form because I think one of the things that made our claim move so quickly is that I took all the forms to the local VA office and requested help in filing the claim. With this form the VA rep will be able to have access to the claim and can follow up on your behalf. This form also needs to be signed by the claimant, so make sure you put that in the stack of forms for them to sign.
Aid And Attendance Affidavit form:
CLICK HERE to open a link to a copy of this form, or copy and paste this link in your browser - http://www.stclaircounty.org/offices/veterans/forms/Attendant%20Affidavit.pdf
It is very important that you have a copy of this form filled out by each of the caregivers that will be paid for care giving. And as you will note the claimant will need to sign these forms also affirming that they are paying these people for care. If you have more than one caregiver being paid you will need a form for each one. ( note: you will be required to issue a 1099 if these are in home caregivers so make sure they know this and they will be required to pay the proper taxes on these wages unless you are taking taxes out of their pay for them. In that case you will issue a W-2 as usual for employees.
Now that you have these forms filled out you will also need the following when filing a claim:
Well that is it for forms. Now I suggest as stated above to hand deliver the claim to your local VA office. Ask to speak to a rep. and have them look everything over. They will let you know if anything is missing and they will begin your claim for you. If you are missing anything get your reps email address as most missing information can be emailed to them by you, saving you extra trips.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me and I will answer to the best of my knowledge. I do not claim to be an expert, I just wanted to share what I did with the hope that it may help others.
Until Next Time
Take Care
Ruth Anne
This form is the one you will use when applying for Aid and Attendance Benefits. You can apply for the veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran.
The first few sections are self explanatory. When completing section II you will find the information you need on the veteran's discharge papers.
Section VII : Your net worth at this point must be below 60,000 for a surviving spouse and this does not include a home, vehicle, furniture or clothing.
Section VIII : This is the section on your monthly income so have all your income sources handy such as social security, retirement benefits, pensions, public assistance etc... when it asks for social security they what the full amount before the medicare deduction, this is listed on your social security statement as the gross monthly amount.
Section IX : Expected Income. Here is where you list your expected income such as interest and dividends or any income not listed in section VIII
Section X : Here you will need to show that your medical expenses including what you pay for care like paying a caregiver, paying assisted living costs and the like along with your insurance premiums if you have supplemental insurance along with your medicare and the premium you pay for medicare part D prescription drug coverage and the deduction for medicare that comes out of you social security. Here you want to make sure to show that the amount of money spent each month on medical costs along with care exceeds their monthly income. If it exceeds the monthly income by $1149.00 or more you will be approved for the full amount of benefits which is $1149.00 a month. But don't make things up - you will need to keep records and prove that you are actually paying out for these services.
The one for whom the claim is being submitted will have to sign a couple of forms and there is a section for witnesses if the claim is being signed by someone else due to the inability of the claimant.
Form 21-2680: This form needs to be filled out by a doctor. At the time we applied for my mom she was in rehab and they were very helpful in getting this filled out in just one day for us. The doctor should fill out the full diagnosis including the need for aid and attendance. If your patient is blind or mostly blind like my mother, this diagnosis will almost automatically get approval for benefits - as will dementia and other illnesses that require regular daily aid.
I recommend this form because I think one of the things that made our claim move so quickly is that I took all the forms to the local VA office and requested help in filing the claim. With this form the VA rep will be able to have access to the claim and can follow up on your behalf. This form also needs to be signed by the claimant, so make sure you put that in the stack of forms for them to sign.
Aid And Attendance Affidavit form:
CLICK HERE to open a link to a copy of this form, or copy and paste this link in your browser - http://www.stclaircounty.org/offices/veterans/forms/Attendant%20Affidavit.pdf
It is very important that you have a copy of this form filled out by each of the caregivers that will be paid for care giving. And as you will note the claimant will need to sign these forms also affirming that they are paying these people for care. If you have more than one caregiver being paid you will need a form for each one. ( note: you will be required to issue a 1099 if these are in home caregivers so make sure they know this and they will be required to pay the proper taxes on these wages unless you are taking taxes out of their pay for them. In that case you will issue a W-2 as usual for employees.
- Discharge papers for the Veteran WWII Vets form 53-55 Vets - after WWII Form DD214
- Marriage certificate if filing for surviving spouse
- Death Certificate if filing for surviving spouse
Well that is it for forms. Now I suggest as stated above to hand deliver the claim to your local VA office. Ask to speak to a rep. and have them look everything over. They will let you know if anything is missing and they will begin your claim for you. If you are missing anything get your reps email address as most missing information can be emailed to them by you, saving you extra trips.
 |
| MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING - EVERY FORM - EVERY DOCUMENT - AND STORE THEM IN A FOLDER FOR EASY ACCESS. |
Now you wait. If you have not heard from the VA in 60 days call your rep and ask them to check on your claim.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me and I will answer to the best of my knowledge. I do not claim to be an expert, I just wanted to share what I did with the hope that it may help others.
Until Next Time
Take Care
Ruth Anne
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