Page 9 - Leisure Living Magazine August 2018

Long-Term Care Benefits For Senior Veterans And Surviving Spouses
By Theresa Bowen, Ph.D., Email - theesajb@gmail.com
The Veterans Admin-
istration (VA) helps
families handle finan-
cial challenges by pro-
viding supplemental
income through the
Veterans Pension and
Survivors Pension ben-
efit with the Aid and At-
tendance fund. The Aid
and Attendance (AA) is
available if you require
the aid of another per-
son to help with daily
living, you are bedridden, your eyesight is limited or you are a patient in a nursing home. You can apply for Aid and Attendance by sending a written statement to your Veterans Benefits Administra- tion regional office along with a report from your doctor that includes the reasons your condition makes it difficult for you to manage your personal care, problems with leaving your home, and lists the activities you are able to do in a typical day. Often times the Aid and Attendance funds are un- derused.
Pension benefits are dependent upon your needs and your countable family income. Income must fall below the yearly limit set by law. The Maxi- mum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) for survivors changes every year. For example, the 2018 rate in- creased 2% over 2017. The VA pays the difference between the veteran’s income and the MAPR. Ac- cording to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs veterans must have at least 90 days of active duty, including one day during a wartime period if the active duty occurred before September 7, 1980 and be honorably discharged. Veterans Pension is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to low-income war veterans who are also age 65 or older or per- manently disabled or a patient in a nursing home or receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or supplemental security income.
State nursing homes approved by the Veteran’s Administration will pay for part of the care a vet- eran receives at a state veterans’ home. Veteran’s
homes in Ohio are current- ly located in Georgetown and Sandusky. The Sandusky, Ohio Veteran’s home provides Memory Care which includes Alzheimer’s and Demen- tia care. Struc- tured activities
are provided by trained staff members in caring for loved ones with memory impairment. Living spaces are designed for those with cognitive chal- lenges. They purport safe engagement in activi- ties that include arts and crafts and music therapy that create successful moments. This home was opened in 1888 to care for veterans and has been in continuous operation since then. It is located at 3416 Columbus Ave. in Sandusky. Their website is part of the Ohio Department of Veterans Ser- vices dvs.ohio.gov click on Veterans Homes and then Memory Care to read about their services and amenities or call them at 419-625-2454. The website provides a detailed up-to-date schedule of services that includes pricing information up- dated and effective May 1, 2018. The department of Veterans Affairs pays a per diem grant to Ohio Veterans Homes for every day of care provided to each eligible resident.
The greatest resource that I have come across are the experts that specialize in long-term care such as state-employed case workers, medical so- cial workers and elder law attorneys because this matter is so multifaceted and complex. It is also important to know if your elder law attorney is VA accredited and is allowed to counsel veterans. An elder law attorney and VA certified, Christo- pher Berry suggests the key to planning for long- term health care is planning early, but if you ha- ven’t and are operating from a crisis standpoint there are still options available.
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