Question:
I am my 100% disabled service connected son's fiduciary and conservator . He lives with me. He can completely care for his physical and personal needs , his disability is of a mental nature . With VA support, medications, and my guidance to keep him grounded in reality, he is doing fairly well. He is not physically disabled at all. But mentally disabled he is, and my support comes in the way of creating within our home a normal fulfilling environment and challenging his, at times, bizarre thoughts that, if allowed to escalate, could lead to a psychotic episode. It’s not a job I signed up for but such is life. My question, Jim, am I entitled to a stipend from VA for being his caretaker? I always have viewed a caretaker as being someone that is assisting a veteran with bathing, dressing , etc but this is not the case. I am already his fiduciary for his disability benefits. Thank You.
Jim's Reply:
Probably not. While I understand what you're saying and I agree 100%, the VA can barely manage to consistently assign caregiver benefits to those who are caring for bedridden veterans in their homes. The harsh fact is that VA has a caregiver program, but it isn't very functional and will only apply to those who are physically disabled.
I'll suggest that you become an advocate for change and talk with your Congressional representatives to let them know how you feel.