My mom is getting Aide & Attendant but the bulk of it goes to the company that is keeping her 'in compliance'. If I could just get a clear idea of how to do that, I could use all of the money for her care instead of the few hours she gets from the healthcare company that is handling it.
There are three benefit levels to Improved Pension. "Basic", "Housebound", "Aid and Attendance" (in ascending order of benefit amount paid). Aid and Attendance requires a separate rating based on medical need. As an example, for 2016 the maximum monthly Basic Pension award for a single veteran is $1,072, with a Housebound rating $1,310, and with an Aid and Attendance rating $1,788.
If a veteran is rated 100% disabled there is potentially an Aid and Attendance benefit as well but it is a Compensation benefit not a Pension benefit.
Your best bet is to find a Veteran Service Officer (VSO) to assist you in determining what might be available and under what circumstances.
You can find a VSO in your area by doing a search or by going here:
http://nacvso.org/find-a-service-officer/
If the veteran is eligible and qualifies for VA Improved Pension with Aid and Attendance the maximum monthly benefit for a single veteran in 2015 is $1,788 per month.
The Veterans Healthcare Administration may also provide some nominal home care services through the Geriatric Extended Care program. This is accessed through the veteran's VA primary care physician.
Veterans Home Care (VHC), as you probably know, is not affiliated with the VA. They are a private company and the deal is essentially this:
The veteran or surviving spouse signs a contract with VHC. VHC has contracts with home care agencies. VHC files the application for benefits and arranges for home care to be delivered to the claimant through one of their contracted agencies while the application is being processed. Once approved, any retroactive benefit goes to VHC to reimburse VHC for the care delivered.
The contract with VHC, however, usually requires that you continue to retain them to deliver home care services for a period of time after approval. VHC claims to provide care at "no up front cost" to the claimant but "no up front cost" does not mean "no cost". How do they make money if they don't charge the claimant (they are, to be sure, a for-profit enterprise)?.
The answer is that they pay the agency a certain fee and add a premium to the hourly rate being charged the claimant. VHC's profit is the "spread", or the difference between, what the claimant is charged for services and what VHC pays the agency. So, in reality, the claimant is indeed "paying" for VHC's services in that if it were not for the premium going to VHC, the claimant would have more of the VA award to spend on service hours.
I caution against this arrangement for this very reason. The claimant can usually do better by negotiating their own rate with a home care agency or other provider of services. The true cost of VHC's services must be carefully weighed against other alternatives.
For instance, the primary benefit of VHC's services is that the claimant does not have to wait to receive care if the claimant cannot otherwise afford to pay for care while the claim is pending. In this case, securing a low cost loan for this purpose might be a better alternative in that the claimant has freedom of choice of care provider, no restrictive ongoing obligation, and will probably end up with more service hours in the long run.
There are other companies that operate in a similar manner to VHC and all claim to be helping claimants for "free" or with "no up front cost". They can easily be discerned by their willingness to provide care while the claim is pending.