Happy officially Fall! Hope it's coming in as beautifully for you as it is for me.

On September 15th, I had the great pleasure of having on my radio show Veteran's Advocate, Debbie Burak, the Founder of VeteranAid.org. As the daughter of a WWII veteran and caregiver, Debbie discovered the Department of Veteran's Affairs benefit that had been sitting idle for 54 years and has taken amazing action to bring the Improved Pension to national attention. This information is important to so many people who are in need of additional funds to take care of their aging parents so I have asked her to write this week's article. And to get lots more information, I hope you will listen to her radio interview on my website by clicking the link below.

Oh and . . . On Tuesday, October 6th I will be presenting "Understanding Family Expectations" for professionals. If you're going to be in the New York area, why not attend? You'll find all the information right after the article. By the way . . . if you know of a company or organization that wants to help their employees or members address their eldercare issues, please have them give me a call or send me their contact information and I'll contact them. Remember, eldercare affects people regardless of their gender, profession, or economic status. Everyone needs as much information as they can possibly get and I'm your gal!

Until next week, enjoy!

PS> Are you on Facebook or Twitter? If so, I'd love to have you 'friend' me and AgeWiseLiving. That way you can get the latest news and have lots to share with your followers about AgeWiseLiving, the AgeWiseLiving newsletter, my radio show, etc. A whole new world!

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ARTICLE: Veterans' Administration Improved Pension Benefit

The Veterans' Administration offers a Special Pension with Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit that is largely unknown. Some reports indicate it is being claimed by only one in seven who are eligible for it. Currently over 2 million widows alone are missing out simply because they don't know they are entitled. It can pay for in-home caretakers, a skilled nursing facility, and assisted living. Low income veterans of all wars can qualify. Their disability does not have to be war-related and spouses of deceased veterans are also eligible.

This Pension allows for Veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in activities of daily living (eg: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting) to receive additional monetary benefits. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an assisted living facility also qualifies.

This most important benefit is overlooked by many families with Veterans or surviving spouses who need additional monies to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. This is a "pension benefit" and is not dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Most Veterans who are in need of assistance qualify for this pension. A Veteran is eligible for up to $1,632 per month, while a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1,055 per month. A couple is eligible for up to $1,949 per month.

Every county has a "county service officer" whose job it is to help people process claims but not all are informed about this benefit. If you're not confident about the information you are receiving from the county service officer in your county, try another county to get the information you need.

You also might want to contact a good financial advisor or an elder law attorney. However, federal law prohibits private individuals from charging veterans for benefit claims, so expect to be charged for other services while handling the claim.

You should also expect the claim to take some time to be processed. Due to the current backlog of claims pending, the average time is 6-9 months, but the good news is if you're deemed eligible, it's retroactive to the date you filed the claim.

To learn more about the Aid & Attendance Improved Pension, Eligibility Requirements, How to Apply, What to Expect, Necessary Forms, Step-by step directions for completing applications, and other Resources to help you with this critical benefit, please go to www.veteranaid.org.

In addition, the Aid and Attendance Benefit is considered to be the third tier of the VA Improved Pension. The other two tiers are Basic and Housebound. Each tier has its own level of benefits and qualifications. While at the www.veteranaid.org site, I urge you to read the FAQ's and visit the forums. If you or your loved one does not qualify for Aid and Attendance, you may want to check to see if you qualify for either the "Basic" or "Housebound" level of the Pension.

The veteran has to qualify in order for the spouse or widow to be eligible. In the event the spouse needs care, but the veteran is still independent, they may be eligible for the Basic level if the spouse's medical expenses deplete their monthly income.

In the event the veteran or surviving spouse passes before funds from an approved application are released, you can file against the accrued funds.

Visit www.veteranaid.org to see what you or your loved one might be entitled to.

Remember, if you're struggling to help your aging loved one, I urge you not to wait for a crisis to develop. Please call me toll-free at (877) AGE-WISE or email me at Barbara@AgeWiseLiving.com for a complimentary "get acquainted" conversation. I'm here to help!