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The VA's Aid and Attendance application asks for a physician's statement supporting the claim that the applicant needs the assistance of another person to complete activities of daily living. What does this statement need to include? How specific does it have to be?

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Heidi, I think many of the groups that do this charge for it. But really, the doctor's statement is pretty easy. Go back up the thread to Chimonger's detailed explanation of how it's done. I followed it, drafted a simple letter that I filled in myself, and sent it to the doctor with a request that he sign it if he felt it was correct, and if he didn't, to let me know. He signed, we sent it (as well as everything else requested) and she was approved. It took several months, but they paid the time between the submission date and the approval retroactively.
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HELP! Where or how would I find representatives of the VA that contract with them to assist people in filing claims?
Thank You!
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Hello About 6 yrs ago my wife came down with non-small cell lung cancer which kills 95% of the people that have it within 5 yrs. She still alive and doing as well as excepted.
She has trouble writing letters, anything that deals with money, not a real good cook but she tries. Her short memory is not good at all she developed limbic encephalitis from cancer and it took its told on her short term memory . She can't remember what day it is, a person's name that is new to her, walking around the block etc.
She can get dress, clean the house, feed the family.
I filled a forum out about 5 years ago and the oncologist filled a couple of question out for me at my request. The thing is the oncologist is very good and really didn't have much time to fill the complete form out but he did. The VA sent the form back to me wanting him to fill out the complete form. Well I didn't go any farther.
Since then i came down with Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease (triple bypass), etc (many more aliments related to agent orange).I exceed 100% disability with ease and we could use the money but I afraid that she will be turned down again even though she has multiple issues.
Please let me know what I should do. She can cook,clean the house, get dress by herself etc, but can't remember any thing, no longer is she a good
cook etc
Thank you Bob T
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I am rated 50% PTSD,my so is Downs Syndrome with multiple health issues have been fighting the V.A.for about 2 years now. First claim was denied they claimed we didn't prove that he wasn't Down's even with all his medical records sent to them and Doctor's signed letter stating such. Refiled 6 months ago no reply. The V.A. is a joke.
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Thank you all for answering my question. I will take Chimonger's advice and draft a letter for Mother's primary care physician, who recommended that she go into assisted living, to finalize and sign. My brother, thank goodness, is handling the actual application process, but I'm the sibling with the relationship with the doctor.
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Hello- There are representatives of the VA that contract with them to assist people in filing claims. I would try to find one. They helped me with my claim and no exactly what you need and the process. My son is in the military and has a VA contact for recruiting. They couldn't help. Benefits come from a separate department. If you want accurate information, go to the horses mouth. Wish you the best.
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When applying for VA medical, and one has not yet been in that system, they want the person to be examined by a VA doctor, as part of the access to that program.
That Doc would see how it is, and document it.

If applying via private medical, for in-home assist from VA,
or, to get VA disability, it takes longer....I've been told up to a couple years, even.

It makes sense, that data needs kept short, to the "just the basic facts, ma'am".
Line-item, single factual sentences,
For instance:
[[name, address, DOB, SSN, Service #]]
This person has diagnoses including:
=="double amputee [Diagnosis code], post-stroke [Diagnosis code]"
[the more diagnoses & the codes for them, the better]

He is:
=="Unable to perform his own activities of daily living, including dressing, food prep, bathing, speech, personal business, former work or hobbies, drive, etc."

He requires:
=="heavy assistance of one [two?] person to dress, get food, bathe, transfer from bed to chair to bathroom, toilet, move chair around house, shop, attend church, visit, etc."
=="partial assistance from at least one or more other persons to eat, handle personal business, access outside of house, travel, etc."
=="24/7 assistance &/or supervision"
=="an in-home care assistant, in addition to family care, at least 8 hours per day, 7-days per week, to assist with above needs, due to his diagnoses listed above"

These types of things can be placed on one page, with room at the bottom for signatures. It could be effective to have many people sign it who have witnessed the level of disability
----just not on separate pieces of paper!
ALSO, ask his Doctor:
"would it be helpful for me to type up the letter, and have you sign it? I know how busy you and your staff are. I could type it up and it could be subject to editing, if you do not approve." MANY docs appreciate this...as long as the letter is accurate, and avoids casting gray areas over anything.
==OR, just type it up and bring it to the Doc's office....only, it would be more effective if you included the proper diagnosis codes listed on the letter, and, the Doc probably should put it on their letterhead.

AVOID WORDS LIKE:
---"this person could work IF he had a special chair, special desk, etc."
If that tactic is used, all the agency sees is the first part where it says, "this person could work"; that will stick and block the application, no matter whether it is VA or SSDI..

ALSO: The VA has some advocates--usually volunteers, who can help expedite the forms getting thru the system.
Please ask VA what office to contact, to speak with these--Like DAV--Disabled American Veterans. They may be able to facilitate the application.
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Thank you happymaine1. The Representative from the VA told me 6 months. I know they have the claim. I've received 3 or 4 letter from the VA that said they were working on the claim. I also received a letter stating that they're trying to improve their turnaround time. I know a live veteran who got a much quicker response. I would just like an answer one way or the other. I can wait on the money but not knowing is a problem. Thanks again.
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The average time is 10 months for a veteran and longer for the spouse of a veteran.If it has been 6 months I would contact my senator and have them look into it, to see how it is going and if it went to the right place. This usually helps!
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I had my mother's Dr fill this out & sign. Her diagnosis was dementia and osteo-arthritis. Her wrote down all the things she couldn't do because of the arthritis. I filed 6 months ago and still haven't heard anything. I understand it can take quite a while. AARP Mag or Bulletin had an article about it recently. I agree you should keep it concise and give them everything they ask for up front. Their Rep told me it takes longer if you don't.
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you need to keep this simple and only fill out the forms they send you. I was told by a VA person who works in the approval department, that they are so busy, that they need it simple, so they finish the approval.
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If it is just the statement not the actual form, we actually made a single letter, and had everyone that came into contact with my father sign and date it and add any comments they wanted at the bottom.
It simply stated that my father's daily activities were limited to reading news on a computer, reading a newspaper, watching telly and occasionally going for a ride in the garden with me or my mom. We included lines about being unable to walk (he's had both a leg and the opposite foot amputated), drive, talk properly (stroke) or manage most of his own affairs, including cooking for himself, making phone calls on his own behalf.
And when I say we had everyone sign one, I really do mean everyone. Doctor, nurse, receptionist in the office, our mail lady, the bug guy, the cashier in the grocery store. Every single person that came in contact with him for more than 30 seconds got asked to sign one. In all we sent around 20 in to them at once, signed by everyone that was willing to sign it.

I hope this helps.
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Are you talking about form VA FORM 21-2680 that MUST be signed by doctor, not nurse or PA, some people do not have the DR sign and it is returned to be signed by a DR. State everything that the person needs help with to show that they can not manage completely on there own. I used the info on http://www.veteranaid.org/. I typed form 21-2680 on my computer using the PDF form and had the DR look it over and sign it. It was easy to read.
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