Moving Dad from Assisted Living

[JerBear320]

I am my father's Fiduciary for A&A, and also his POA. He lives in an assisted living facility, but this past September his doctors advised he would be a candidate for Hospice Care due to his late stage COPD, and Dementia. His prognosis is 6 months or less.

Two years ago, he was reaquainted with a childhood friend and they became sweethearts and she moved from Ohio to live with my dad. She provides the bulk of the care for my dad, but my family has suspected that she has some serious mental health issues that we belive is compromising my father's health. The mental health issues with my dad's "girlfriend" are escalating and we are considering moving him from the Assisted Living Facility and into a house or apartment and my brother would move in with him and provide him all the care he needs in his final days.

How does this affect his A&A Benefit? I understand from reading through this forum that my dad would still be entitled to this benefit, but what would the monthly amount be? Currently he receives the maximum benefit of $1644/month. As his Fiduciary, if my brother moved in, would I just make payment to him from my dad's account? I read that the "rent" could not be considered as reiumbursed medical expense, but I'm unclear how to seperate that expense from his medical expenses? He also recives SS of $1240/month and has a very small savings of about $22,000. Thanks.

[vetadmin]

The rent is not deductible as your brother is not a licensed facility; however you can pay him as the caregiver.  You would want to keep expenses where they are now so there is not a big drop in his monthly costs, which would be a cause for the pension to be reduced.

You will need to advise the VA of his new residence and address.