Success Story to Share and Question Re Payment

[edwina10]

Thanks to all the helpful information and suggestions I found at VeteranAid.org and in the forum, I'd like to share my experience. 

My father is a WWII Marine veteran with Alzheimer's who currently resides in a secure dementia unit at a skilled nursing facility.  I followed the advice I found in this forum, and meticulously put together every document and form into a 3-ring binder with tabbed dividers.  Both the Physician Statement and the Nursing Home Statement clearly referred to my father's dementia, and the fact that he resides in a secure, dementia unit. 

On June 23 I sent the claim to our local VA office in Winston-Salem, NC, my certificed receipt was returned indicating the claim had been received by the VA on 6/25. 

Yesterday, August 11, (less than 8 weeks after mailing the claim) I received a call from the Nursing Home telling me that my father had received not only a check for $1949 from the VA, but a 9-page letter explaining the decision.  Per the letter from the VA, they made a decision on my father's claim and determined his payment start date as Jul 1 for veter and with one dependent (my mom). 

Although I am thrilled beyond words that the claim was processed so quickly, and that the amount is $1949, I am stunned that they sent a check directly to my dad at the Nursing Home.  Because of his dementia, I had expected and was prepared for the lengthy process of the VA requiring the appointment of a fiduciary.  How could they have overlooked his dementia/Alzheimer's diagnosis?  Obviously, I don't want to do anything to cause his benefit payment to be suspended, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had such an experience, and why might the VA have already sent my father a check in light of his clear dementia diagnosis?

Thanks again to this wonderful website.

[nananorma]

Hopefully, you are on a checking account with your parents and that direct deposit will click in.  Throughout our whole process, the VA kept sending documents to my mother's ALF even though she had Alzheimer's as her diagnosis.  I'd go there as often as possible to go through the mail to see if there was anything from the VA that she might lose or misplace.  You probably need to alert the director at the facility to be watchful!

[kayellen]

 The funds were made payable to your father because he is the veteran recipient.  Your are his Attorney In Fact/Fiduciary that will be endorsing the checks by signing his name then yours in the Fiduciary capacity.  Which is the way you should be conducting all of his other business.

Hope this helps you.

We applied for A & A for my uncle on Aug. 19 and have already received acknowledgement w/ file number on Sept. 9th from Minneapolis.  Hopefully, the other reviews will be as expedicious.  No not hopefully, I pray to God.

[pologal1979]

the reason the checks go to him is probably that you put his address at the nursing home as his mailing address. 

you can change this by doing the following:

1.  write up a statement requesting the veteran's mail be sent to your mailing address. 

2. if you have not already done so, have the checks direct deposited to veterans account. perhaps you already have a joint account with him or you are POA on his bank account. whatever works. provide a cancelled check to VA on the same statement with the address request.

3. you AND the veteran need to sign the form.

4. if the vet cant sign have him make a mark or thumbprint. then have TWO witnesses sign and provide their addresses.

hope that helps.

[dilww2wave]

Wow, here in WI we have been waiting on paperwork submitted in March of '09.  They wouldn't  assign payment directly to my mother in law (a WWII Veteran serving in the Navy) because one of the conditions listed was cerebrovascular accident.  We finally are to the point where we have the July 22nd determination with proposal and an Aug 28th decision from that for me to handle the disbursement of funds.  Does anyone have a guess as to when we might expect a check.  The last CD she has won't be able to be accessed without a fee until Dec. 1st.  And she is very close to out of money for the next few months.  Not sure what I should do.

[Fit2009]

Should be quick now that you've been approved as fiduciary- but you could write a hardship letter to the Fiduciary Department at your regional VA office.  March of 09 is not that long for approval and completion of the fiducary process - Congrats.

[KarenO]

dilww2wave, did you have a field visit during the time of July 22nd to August 28th.  My dates are very close to yours.  Applied in March, determination of benefits but withholding benefits due to incompetency July 24th.  We responded by waiving the 60 day period and requesting I be appointed fiduciary.  I just received yesterday a determination that my mother is declared incompetent and acknowledging that she requests that I be appointed fiduciary.  I understand I will be contacted for a field visit to interview both my mom and I.  I just wondered if yours had been done.  Thanks.