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Choosing the Right Assisted Living Facilities for Your Loved One

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

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Assited Living Facilities

Finding the right assisted living facilities for your loved one may seem like a daunting and overwhelming process. Many families struggle to find the right facilities to meet the needs of their aging or disabled relative. With the right amount of time, patience and knowledge, it is easy to find the assisted living facility to meet your needs. 

The first step in choosing the right facility is to determine the level of care that the resident will need. Some care facilities offer apartment-style living in which the residents care for themselves with limited assistance from staff. These types of facilities allow residents to maintain a sense of independence and privacy while being available to provide assistance as needed. Other facilities offer a moderate level of care, providing medical treatment, meals and personal care, but allowing residents the freedom to make choices about their daily living. Finally, there are facilities that provide extensive care, round the clock supervision and treatment and full service meals and personal care. Many of these are connected to a hospital or other medical care center. 

Many assisted living facilities provide a number of amenities to make the resident\’s experience as pleasurable as possible. These include full service meals in community dining rooms, administering medication, religious and spiritual services, recreational activities and transportation services. It is important to choose a facility that will offer the right balance of services while helping your loved one maintain their dignity and mental well being. The best facilities encourage a healthy relationship between the resident and their family and community. 

Making sure the assisted living facility is perfect for your family member is an active process that requires careful selection and follow-up. Before admitting your loved one as a resident, many facilities interview the family and the potential resident to determine their needs and to formulate a plan for their care. This interview process will allow you to assess the facility, voice any concerns and make suggestions that will benefit your loved one. In addition, this will give you the opportunity to tour the residence and get a feel for the overall atmosphere of the facility. 

There are many assisted living facilities to serve the needs of your aging or disabled relative. It may seem like a daunting task to choose from the many senior residences, care facilities and assisted living communities available. By assessing the needs of your loved one and targeting facilities that meet those needs, you will find the assisted living facility that is perfect for your family.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/choosing-the-right-assisted-living-facilities-for-your-loved-one-2828458.html

About the Author

Mickel Jackson

Choosing the Right Assisted Living Facilities - Here is some information that might assist you in your search for housing and care of your loved one.

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Understanding the VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

AID AND ATTENDANCE IMPROVED PENSION

Veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam have a little know benefit called the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension available to help pay for long term care.  The Veterans Administration doesn’t commonly offer information about the Aid and Attendance Pension that is not only available to the veteran but to their spouse or widow as well.  With today’s rising healthcare cost this benefit is a Godsend to veterans who need care.  It is often the money needed to be able to have care or live in an assisted living.  Let’s look at some of the specifics to qualify for the Veterans Aid and Attendance Improved Pension.

General Eligibility Requirements

Must have served during a period of war

The veteran must have served at least one day of active military service during one of these periods, served a total of 90 days of military service altogether, and had an honorable or general discharge.

Must require the need of an aid or attendant

The veteran or spouse must require an aid or attendant to assist them with at least one activity of daily living.  These activities include mobility, bathing, eating, dressing, or toileting.  In addition, diminished mental capacity would qualify as a criterion.  The aid or attendant can provide assistance with any of the above plus can serve in other capacities such as socialization, meal preparation, housecleaning, maintenance, etc. as long as the primary reason for the need is to help with one of the ADL’s.

The aid or attendant can be a professional, family member, or friend and the services can be provided in a residence, assisted living facility, or nursing home.  A resident of an assisted living facility or nursing home is deemed to be in need of such services.   Also, the blind are deemed to be in need.

If over the age of 65, the cause of disability does not have to be service related.  Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s, etc. are all reasons for the need of an attendant.  If under the age of 65, the reason for disability must be service related if there is a partial disability.  For those veterans under the age of 65 with a full disability, the benefit may be available.

Must meet certain financial requirements

The need for aid and attendance must be supplemented by the need for financial assistance to pay for those services.  Eligibility is determined through both income and asset levels.  Unlike Medicaid planning, both incomes and all assets are considered for married couples.  But also unlike Medicaid Planning, there is currently no ‘look-back’ period for assets that have been gifted or removed from the veteran’s estate. 

When planning for the financial qualifications for the VA benefit, it is important to remember that the client may be a future prospect for nursing home confinement and that planning should be coordinated with Medicaid in mind.  Assets and income are treated differently and if the goal is protect some assets for a community spouse, a thorough understanding of how these two programs clash is essential.

Income Qualification

Income need is based on a formula that takes into consideration the applicant’s total household income less any unreimbursable medical expenses.  Uunreimbursable medical expenses is include Medicare premiums, prescription costs, co-pays and deductibles, over the counter medications and medical supplies. 

Asset allowance determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and take into consideration the total of assets, the life expectancy of the applicant, and other fixed expenses the applicant may be facing.  

If the monthly costs of all unreimbursed medical expense are greater than the client’s total household  income, they will be eligible for the FULL AID AND ATTENDANCE MONTHLY PENSION.

If the monthly costs of all unreimbursed medical expense is less than their income, but the resulting sum (income less expenses) is less than the threshold amount, they may be eligible for a PARTIAL AID AND ATTENDANCE MONTHLY PENSION.

The benefit amount is TAX FREE for the rest of their life.

Aid and Attendance Asset Qualification

Excluded assets include your primary home, car, pre-paid funeral (assigned or trust) and personal effects.  Everything else is available to be used to pay for care. The VA will assess disqualification if it appears that the applicant has sufficient assets to pay for the unreimbursed medical expenses based on their life expectancy.

What options are available to assist the client with qualification for Aid and Attendance?

Transfer of ownership – For people in assisted living or home environments, they are not ready or willing to transfer ownership of their assets to their children or other heirs.  They may still need funds for living expenses, travel, entertainment, etc. 

Veterans Care Solutions can help seniors transfer ownership without giving up control of their assets and having the money spent by those to whom they have transferred that ownership.  They will have access to the funds for their own use.  And, those assets can be transferred back to the applicant in the event Medicaid planning is necessary.

The Process to Apply for Aid and Attendance

The application process can take from 4 to 8 months.  If approved, the benefit will be paid retroactively to the first day of the month following the month of submission.  The application for Aid and Attendance benefits includes a complete medical history, financial accounting, and pharmacy and doctor reports.  The key to acceptance is completing the application properly the first time and including all the necessary information they will need to quickly determine your claim.  The VA is a large bureaucracy and tends to lose applications once they are set aside for further review or information requests.   Veterans Care Solutions specializes in guiding you on completion, submission, and follow-up of these forms. 

In addition to the application form, the following documents are needed:

Discharge/Separation Papers (DD-214)

Copy of Marriage Certificate and all marital information (if applicable)

Copy of the Death Certificate (surviving spouses only)

Copy of current Social Security Award Statement and any other income

Net Worth information

Proof of insurance premiums, medications, medical bills or any other medical expenses that are not reimbursed by insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid

Physician statement that includes current diagnosis, medical status, prognosis, name and address, ability to care for self, ability to travel unattended, etc

A statement of residency or level of healthcare service and the amount paid.

Summary

Veterans Care Solutions can assist you and your clients in applying and qualifying for the VA Aid and Attendance Program.  We conduct an initial screening to determine eligibility based on health factors and we will then conduct a financial interview to determine what, if any, steps they need to take to meet the financial qualification.  Veterans Care Solutions will also work with all family members and attorneys to assist them in understanding the steps that need to be taken, a timetable for those steps, and the results of the implementation of the plan. 

We then will guide you in completing the application so that it gets quickly approved.  We also work with and through home care, assisted living, and nursing home personnel to educate families and caregivers about these benefits.  We also assist these same personnel with communication tools to help them advertise this benefit to both current and prospective residents and clients.  .

We believe this benefit is a ‘thank you’ for the service to our country that these brave men and women and their families have made.  We are pleased to be able to honor them in this way.

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Caring for Senior Veterans – VA Long Term Care Benefits

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

In the month of February we celebrate Presidents Day in honor of two great United States Presidents; George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both were heroes of wars fought on U.S soil for freedom and unity of our great country.

The United States has fought many wars throughout the world since that time to keep freedom here at home and continues to do so. From the beginning our country has established a program to care for the men and women of our military who fought in those wars.

The veterans assistance program goes back to 1636 when Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony fought with the Pequot Indians. The Pilgrims enacted a law from English law that reads, “If any man shall be sent forth as a soldier and shall return maimed, he shall be maintained competently by the colony during his life.” In 1789 U. S. congress passed as law that pensions were to be provided to disabled veterans and their dependents and in 1811 the first domiciliary and medical facility for veterans was completed.

Since that time the Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a multitude of care facilities nationwide. An article from the US Department of Veterans Affairs website states:

“VA’s health care system has grown from 54 hospitals in 1930 to 157 medical centers in 2005, with at least one in each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia . More than 5.3 million people received care in VA health care facilities in 2005, a 29 percent increase over the 4.1 million treated just four years earlier.
VA operates more than 1,300 sites of care including nearly 900 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics, 136 nursing homes, 43 residential rehabilitation treatment programs, nearly 90 comprehensive home-care programs, and more than 200 Veterans Centers.”

State veterans homes have been built or are approved for future construction in many states. For a list of state veteran nursing homes go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/ref_state_veterans_va_nursing_homes.htm#List

Here are some of the benefits provided for Veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs:

  • Health Care Clinics
  • Mental Health
  • Counseling
  • Job training
  • Burial and Memorial benefits
  • Education
  • VA Home Loan
  • DIC
  • Compensation
  • Pension
  • Care Management
  • Home Renovation for Disability
  • Assisted Living
  • Prosthetics
  • Rehabilitation
  • Weight management
  • Nursing Homes
  • Prescriptions
  • Hospitals
    and much more

Thomas Day, founder and Director of the National Care Planning Council, has a deep gratitude for the services provided by the VA. He served as an Air Force pilot during Vietnam. Later he developed a crippling auto-immune disease. It was the doctors at the George A Wahlen VA Regional Medical Center who prescribed a new treatment that saved his life. Many of the VA programs continue to improve his life.

Tom is passionate about the Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit and the relief it brings to veterans and their families who need care services and ways to pay for it in their elder years.

“Aid and attendance” is a commonly used term for a little-known veterans’ disability income. The official title of this benefit is “Pension.” The reason for using “aid and attendance” to refer to Pension is that many veterans or their single surviving spouses can become eligible if they have a regular need for the aid and attendance of a caregiver or if they are housebound. Evidence of this need for care must be certified by VA as a “rating.” With a rating, certain veterans or their surviving spouses can now qualify for Pension. Pension is also available to low income veteran households without a rating, but it is a lesser dollar amount.

Pension is an underused benefit.

There are different income categories for Pension, but the highest could pay as much as $1,949 a month in disability income to a qualifying veteran household. A study commissioned by VA in 2001 estimated, over the next 14 years, only about 30% of eligible veterans would apply for Pension. This is likely due to the fact that most veterans simply don’t know about it. In fact, about a third of all seniors in this country, age 65 and older, could become eligible for pension under the right circumstances. That’s how many elderly war veterans or their surviving spouses there are.

To receive Pension, a veteran must have served on active duty, at least 90 days, with at least one of those days during a period of war. There must be a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Single surviving spouses of such veterans are also eligible. If younger than 65, the veteran must be totally disabled. If age 65 and older, there is no requirement for disability. There is no age or disability requirement for a single surviving spouse.

There are income requirements, but a special provision does allow household income to be reduced by 12 months worth of future, recurring medical expenses. Normally, income is only reduced by medical expenses incurred in the month of application. These allowable, annualized medical expenses are such things as insurance premiums, ongoing prescription drug costs, out-of-pocket cost of monthly medical equipment rental, the cost of home care, the cost of paying adult children to provide care, the cost of adult day services, the cost of assisted living and the cost of a nursing home facility. These are all considered medical costs and they can be deducted from income to receive this benefit.

According to Mr. Day,

“I talk to a number of people every day who are inquiring about this benefit. In many cases they don’t know that the benefit can pay members of the family to take care of the veteran, the veteran couple or the surviving spouse at home. I have literally had people who are sacrificing dearly to take care of their loved ones at home, break down and cry when they find they can receive some money from the government for that sacrifice.”

Thomas Day has written two books for the National Care Planning Council to educate and help veterans obtain this long term care benefit. The first, “How to apply for the Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit” is to educate the public what the benefit is and how to get it. The claims process for pension is described and information is provided to help understand what documentation is necessary to provide evidence of recurring medical expenses. All forms necessary for filing a claim are included in the form support section of the book. Here is a link to the book. http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a16Veterans_standard_book.htm

Although this is a do-it-yourself book, Tom recommends if you have excessive assets and income or are not sure how to apply medical deductions, use the services of a qualified consultant.

The second book, “Aid & Attendance Handbook for Professionals & Consultants,” is for the professional consultant. It is 782 pages of rules, forms, instruction on the submission process and Medicaid planning strategies as well as software for calculating income, benefit and medical expenses. Here is a link to that book. http://www.veteranbook.com

The secret for receiving a successful award for aid and attendance or housebound ratings is not in filling out the form but in knowing what documents and evidence must be submitted with the application. Knowing the secrets for a successful award — with the special case of long term care recipients — is 95% of the battle. Even though the form is challenging, filling out and filing a claim is a formality.

A knowledgeable consultant can provide information to shorten VA’s decision window of 6 to 12 months to possibly 3 or 4 months. The consultant also understands how to maximize the benefit or avoid a denial. The consultant can also provide guidance for meeting the asset test. Finally, the consultant can provide the actual strategies for reallocating assets and he or she can arrange for trusts or income conversions to allow for the best possible accommodation of assets for beneficiaries thus avoiding or reducing taxes, family disputes and Medicaid penalties.

“I would like to see every eligible veteran obtain the Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit for their long term care needs.” Thomas Day, Director, National Care Planning Council.

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Long Term Care for Senior Veterans

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

In the year 1919 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to honor those Veterans who served during World War I. On November 11, 1954, Armistice Day was proclaimed a legal national holiday and the name was changed to “Veterans Day” to honor all veterans of all wars.

Every November 11, ceremonies are held throughout the United States honoring Veterans of wars. A National Ceremony is held at Arlington Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the laying of the presidential wreath and military playing of “Taps” is presented.
Since its establishment in 1930, the Department of Veterans Affairs has evolved to supporting and aiding the nation’s veterans in numerous ways. One of these services for example, the Veterans Health Administration, is the largest single provider of medical care in the United States. Its 22 regions with 154 hospitals and their associated 875 outpatient clinics offer the following services.

Hospital, outpatient medical, dental, pharmacy and prosthetic services
Domiciliary, nursing home, and community-based residential care
Sexual trauma counseling
Specialized health care for women veterans
Health and rehabilitation programs for homeless veterans
Readjustment counseling
Alcohol and drug dependency treatment
Medical evaluation for disorders associated with military service in the Gulf War, or Treatment for exposure to Agent Orange, radiation, and other environmental hazards
HISA grants
Other special benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides three types of long term care services for veterans.

The first are health care benefits provided to veterans who have service-connected disabilities, who are receiving VA Pension or who are considered low income. These services include free medical care, possible free prescription drugs, orthotics and prosthetics, home renovation grants for disabilities, home care, assisted living, domiciliary care, nursing home care, and a possible host of other services or benefits.

The second benefit is state veterans homes. The majority of these homes offer nursing care but some may offer assisted living or domiciliary care. The Department of Veterans Affairs in conjunction with the states helps build and support state veterans homes. Money is provided to help with construction and a federal subsidy of $72.71 a day is provided for each veteran using state veterans nursing home services. These homes are generally available for most veterans and sometimes their spouses and in some cases for so-called “Goldstar parents.” Veterans homes are run by the states, sometimes with the help of contract management. There may be waiting lists in some states.

The third benefit for veterans is disability income programs. The most familiar of these benefits is an income for service-connected disabled veterans called “Compensation.” The least known of these is a program officially called “Pension” but popularly known as the “aid and attendance benefit.”

  • All active-duty veterans who served at least 90 days during a period of war are eligible for Pension and the additional income from aid and attendance or housebound allowances. A single surviving spouse of such a veteran is also eligible.
  • All qualifying veteran applicants over the age of 65 are eligible for pension but must meet income and asset tests. Applicants under the age of 65 must in addition be totally disabled to qualify. Disability does not have to be service-connected.
  • A surviving spouse can be any age and there is no need for disability.

The aid and attendance benefit can pay additional income to provide for the costs associated with home care, assisted living, nursing homes, adult day care and other unreimbursed medical expenses. It can also pay for a family member other than a spouse to be the care giver. The amount of payment varies with the type of care, recipient income and the marital status of the recipient. Here are some examples of how this benefit can help veterans.

Example #1
The National Care Planning Council receives many calls from family members of veterans, asking if there is any help available to them. One such call came from a woman who had been juggling her job and caring for her father in her home for over five years. She had just lost her job and with no income, did not know how she would keep her home or give her father the care he needed. She read an article that had been written by the National Care Planning Council and published in her local newspaper and called their phone number. The article mentioned that a member of the family — not including a spouse — can be paid through VA to provide care for a loved one at home who is either a war veteran or the surviving spouse of a war veteran. Her father is a war veteran. When told that she could get an additional $1,644 a month through her father by providing her father’s care she was shocked. She was also extremely grateful and ended up sobbing into tears over the phone when she found out about the benefit and realized it would help her keep her home and her father may probably get a check for her retroactive previous care from VA worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Example #2
Another recent caller’s mother is 89 years old and has been in assisted living for four years. As a widow of a veteran she did not qualify for the Aid & Attendance Pension 4 years ago because her assets were too high. In the meantime she has been using up her assets along with her income to pay for the assisted living. The local veterans service office has not been helpful in getting this claim approved even though she had reached the allowable asset limit over two years ago. The family was considering putting her in a less desirable facility under Medicaid. The family knew this would be devastating for their mother. Her health was still good and she had many friends and comforts at the assisted living.

The National Care Planning Council directed the caller and his family to a more cooperative veterans service office that will submit the claim and likely get it approved retroactively so that this woman can get a check for roughly $40,000 worth of previous care costs for which she was not reimbursed. In addition, she will likely get the full benefit of $1,056 a month to help pay the cost of the assisted living where she is happy.

These types of claims require medical evidence in order to receive a rating for aid and attendance or housebound allowances. These ratings must be received or certain non-medical expenses associated with long term care are not deductible from income. Special rules also allow for deducting the annual anticipated cost of month-to-month long term care from household income in order to meet the income test. This special treatment requires special documentation and evidence. In addition, those households with substantial assets will be denied for a Pension income unless those assets are below a certain level determined for each case by VA. The personal residence, personal vehicles and personal property are exempted from this asset test. Finally, evidence must be supplied every year in January that the anticipated costs for the previous year were actually incurred or VA will likely demand for its money back.
The National Care Planning Council has compiled the necessary forms, rules and information about claims together in one book titled “How to Apply for the Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit.”

This book contains information about how a typical applicant receives a successful pension award. VA often tells callers to go ahead and fill out the application but generally provides no information on the special treatment of annualization of anticipated recurring medical costs. The claims form also contains no information on this important issue. One simply has to know how to do it. This crucial information can make the difference between a successful award and being declined. All necessary forms for filing a claim are in the book.

Veterans who have substantial assets may need to do some estate planning and realigning of assets to qualify. An expert in this area should be sought to help with the application in order to avoid lengthy delays in awarding a benefit or a possible denial of benefits. For a list of individuals or companies in your area who understand how to get this benefit go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/ref_veterans_consultants.htm

To learn more about this benefit go to http://www.veteransaidbenefit.org/

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Applying for the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Pension

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

12:20 a.m. The clock was blurry as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes to answer the phone.
“Hello”, I said.

A weak and frightened voice on the other end pleaded, “Melissa? Is Bryan there? I can’t get out of my chair. Could you or Bryan come over?”

I sighed as I handed the phone to my husband and heard him say, ”I’ll be right over, Dad.”

When Bryan left, I pondered on my father-in-law, John, and his situation. John had just come out of the hospital after a serious illness and although the doctor had assured us he would be fine, we quickly learned that he was not able to care for himself. He lived alone in a small apartment and had in-home health care assistance through his Medicare plan. They came once a day to help him with a shower and to aid him with incontinence. Bryan and I came over three times a day to help him with changing his clothes and to make his meals. In addition, we helped him with his bills and took him to his frequent doctor appointments. Tonight was the first time he had called to ask for help in the middle of the night. We needed to do something different. We were both exhausted between working our jobs and caring for our four young children and constantly running out to take care of John’s needs. It was becoming more than we could handle. We realized we really needed to get him into assisted living.

John lived comfortably on an income consisting of social security and a retirement pension, but as we visited different assisted living homes in our immediate area, we quickly realized that this income was not enough. Assisted living was really expensive!

John had served in the Navy during the Korean conflict and we had heard through a friend that veterans could receive assistance through the Department of Veteran’s affairs for health care. The catch was doing it correctly. Our friend referred us to a Veteran’s Consultant from the National Care Planning Council to provide information for the challenging task of filling out the paperwork to receive this benefit. A Veteran’s Consultant can provide general information on how a claim is filed. Our consultant told us about all of the necessary supporting documents we would need to make sure it was approved.

The paper work was pretty daunting, but we worked through each form thoroughly to be sure that we were providing all the information Veterans Affairs (VA) would need in order to expedite John’s payments.

First, I obtained a medical report from John’s doctor – the most crucial step in the process. This form would prove that John needed aid and attendance. In our case, the doctor described his medical condition and then noted specifically his need for help with incontinence and showers, his lack of motivation to make meals for himself and his inability to leave the house alone. It was, however; important to us that the doctor wrote that John was mentally capable of making his own decisions, because we did not want to go through a delaying process of having VA assign somebody who would need to pay his bills for him (VA calls this person a fiduciary).

Another key thing was that John had to show evidence to VA that his care costs were close to or exceeded his income. Fortunately, John had a small amount of savings and he was able to pay in full for the first month’s payment to his assisted living home. This was important, because the statement showing this payment was important evidence needed to present to VA. Since his assisted living cost exceeded his income by $1,000 per month, we arranged with the director, to pay what John could afford until the benefit from VA came in and then the director agreed to pay the remaining debt balance on the account at that time.

An important form was John’s original DD-214, which was the official record showing that he had been honorably discharged from the military. I quickly found a certificate of honorable discharge (DD-256) but this was not the correct form. We searched through all of his files and boxes and couldn’t find the DD-214.  So I got on the Internet and found a website for the National repository where the official forms can be obtained. It appeared that it could take up to 6 weeks to receive an official copy. Fortunately, we found the original document folded in his wallet and we did not have to delay our process.

One of the forms my Consultant made me aware of was a VA power of attorney form (VA form 21-22a) that gave me the authority to fill out and submit the forms to VA on behalf of John. Although John was mentally sound, he was weak and tired and didn’t really want to do anything but watch television and eat. With this form, I was able to communicate with VA in his behalf.

There were several other forms to fill out and after all the paperwork was finished, my Veteran’s consultant gave us the address of where to send all of them. Our particular VA processing office was located in St. Paul, Minnesota.

After about two weeks, John and I each received a letter stating that VA was working on his case and they assigned him a case file number. After another two weeks, we received a letter stating that we needed to fill out some other paper work. I showed these to my consultant, who assured me, in our case, that it was standard procedure and that the paper work I had originally filed was sufficient. Within another two weeks, John received his first payment.

Because his care cost exceeded his income, he was awarded the full $1644.00 per month. VA sent another payment from the date that they had first issued his case number. So in the first month, we received two payments. These were sufficient to catch up the debt he owed to his assisted living and to continue with full payments each month.

Applying for the VA Aid and Attendance Pension was detailed, but it was not terribly frustrating because of the general information on the application process I received from my consultant. It did require extra work on my part, but it was well worth the end result of getting the care that John needed and the relief that Bryan and I needed in the end. I am grateful that we had such a wonderful resource in National Care Planning Council to help us find a capable and informative Veteran’s Consultant.

Bryan and I now see John twice a week and visit with his assisted living staff often to help him have a comfortable and enjoyable life in his new home. He is able to enjoy activities and meals with other people, have quality personal care and have the peace of mind that someone is always there to help him. I now sleep at ease through the night, knowing that his needs are taken care of and that there won’t be any middle of the night calls asking for help.

The National Care Planning Council wishes to thank Melissa for providing her experience. We maintain a list of consultants across the country which can be found at the following address: www.veteranslisting.com. We also provide a book with instructions to help people who want to file an application by themselves. This book can be purchased online at http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a16books.htm.

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Getting Your Affairs In Order

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

If we had a crystal ball and could see into the future, we would not need to prepare ahead for end of life decisions.

James was 62 years old when a stroke made it impossible for him to communicate with his family. Neither his wife nor children knew anything about his financial or medical information. James had always taken care of things himself and left no written directives in his behalf. Besides having to locate important documents, the family was left to make their own decisions about James long term care.

The National Institute on Aging gives three simple, but important steps to putting your affairs in order:

  • Put your important papers and copies of legal documents in one place. You could set up a file, put everything in a desk or dresser drawer, or just list the information and location of papers in a notebook. If your papers are in a bank safe deposit box, keep copies in a file at home. Check each year to see if there’s anything new to add.
  • Tell a trusted family member or friend where you put all your important papers. You don’t need to tell this friend or family member about your personal affairs, but someone should know where you keep your papers in case of emergency. If you don’t have a relative or friend you trust, ask a lawyer to help.
  • Give consent in advance for your doctor or lawyer to talk with your caregiver as needed. There may be questions about your care, a bill, or a health insurance claim. Without your consent, your caregiver may not be able to get needed information. You can give your okay in advance to Medicare, a credit card company, your bank, or your doctor. You may need to sign and return a form.” National Institute on Aging http://www.nia.nih.gov
    Preparing Advance Directives or Living Will

Advance directives are legal documents that state the kind of medical care or end of life decisions you want made in your behalf. It is a way for you to communicate your wishes to family or health care professionals. Emergency response medical personnel cannot honor Advance directives or living wills. They are required to save and stabilize a person for transfer to a hospital or emergency facility. Once at the facility a physician will honor the directives.

The Living Will as part of your directives gives your consent or refusal for sustained medical treatment when you are not able to give it yourself. If this document is not in place then a family member or physician will decide such things as:

  • Resuscitation if breathing or heartbeat stops
  • Use of breathing machines
  • Use of feeding tubes
  • Medications or medical procedures
    Advance Directives and Living Wills are legal throughout the United States; however, some states may not honor other states’ directive documents. Be sure to check with the state you live in for their requirements.

Review your directives periodically. They do not expire, but your wishes may change.
A new or revised Advanced Directive invalidates the old one. Be sure your family member or healthcare proxy has a current copy.

Choosing a Power of Attorney

General Power of Attorney – authorizes someone to handle your financial, banking and possibly real estate and government affairs as long as you remain competent.

Special Power of Attorney – authorizes someone you designate to handle certain things you cannot do yourself for a period of time.

Durable” Power of Attorney -The general, special and health care powers of attorney can all be made “durable” by adding certain text to the document. This means that the document will remain in effect or take effect if you become mentally incompetent.

Many people do not know the difference between a general and a durable power of attorney. A general power of attorney is a document by which you appoint a person to act as your agent.

Agents are authorized to make decisions for you, sign legal documents, etc. Many people are unaware that a General Power of Attorney is revoked when the person granting that power becomes incompetent or incapacitated.

It is the “Durable” Power of Attorney that allows for an agent to continue making decisions on your behalf no matter what happens to you. A responsible adult child of an aging parent would be given a “durable power of attorney” to act on behalf of the parent. This provides broader authority than just adding the child’s name to bank accounts and documents.

You may choose to produce notarized power of attorney documents on your own. If your estate is large and real estate or business is included it is advised to secure a reliable attorney.

National Care Planning Council http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a2cfindattorney.htm

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Caring for Senior Veterans – VA Long Term Care Benefits

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

In the month of February we celebrate Presidents Day in honor of two great United States Presidents; George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both were heroes of wars fought on U.S soil for freedom and unity of our great country.

The United States has fought many wars throughout the world since that time to keep freedom here at home and continues to do so. From the beginning our country we established a program to care for the men and women of our military who fought in those wars.

The veterans aid and attendance program goes back to 1636 when Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony fought with the Pequot Indians. The Pilgrims enacted a law from English law that reads, “If any man shall be sent forth as a soldier and shall return maimed, he shall be maintained competently by the colony during his life.” In 1789 U. S. congress passed as law that pensions were to be provided to disabled veterans and their dependents and in 1811 the first domiciliary and medical facility for veterans was completed. 

There are Veteran’s hospitals, out-patient centers, nursing homes, residental care facilities and Veteran’s homes throughout the country.  When it comes to long term care priority is given to war disabled veterans who need nursing home care.  There is another benefit to help Veterans pay for long term care  called  the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension.  Veterans or their single surviving spouses can become eligible if they have a regular need for the aid and attendance of a caregiver or if they are housebound. Aid and Attendance care is defined as assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, medications, toileting, walking or a danger to oneself because of memory impairment.

The benefit is $1656 per month for the Veteran, $1949 for both the veteran and their spouse or $1056 for the surviving spouse, tax free for life.  To receive the Pension, a veteran must have served on active duty, at least 90 days, with at least one of those days during a period of war. Their must be a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Single surviving spouses of such veterans are also eligible. If younger than 65, the veteran must be totally disabled. If age 65 and older, there is no requirement for disability. There is no age or disability requirement for a single surviving spouse.

To be eligible these must be an expense for care either provided by an in-home care provider, family member or assisted living.  VA also looks are income vs expenses and the veteran’s assets.  Unlike Medicaid VA allows redistribution of assets in order to qualify.  It is very important the you seek the assistance of a trained professional who also knows Medicaid laws before giving any assets away. 

The secret for receiving a successful award for aid and attendance or housebound ratings is not in filling out the form but in knowing what documents and evidence must be submitted with the application. Knowing the secrets for a successful award — with the special case of long term care recipients — is 95% of the battle. Even though the form is challenging, filling out and filing a claim is a formality.  A knowledgeable consultant can provide information to shorten VA’s decision window of 6 to 12 months to possibly 3 or 4 months. A Veteran’s benefit consultant also understands how to maximize the benefit or avoid a denial. The consultant can also provide guidance for meeting the asset test. Finally, a consultant can provide the actual strategies for reallocating assets and he or she can arrange for trusts or income conversions to allow for the best possible accommodation of assets for beneficiaries thus avoiding or reducing taxes, family disputes and Medicaid penalties.

Contact us today to help you get the benefits you deserve.  Call 866-837-2659 or info@agingavenues.com

http://www.agingavenues.com/topics/aid-attendance-pension-for-veteran-s-and-spouses

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Posted in Aid and Attendance Improved Pension, how to pay for eldercare, how to pay for senior care, veterans benefits | No Comments »

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