Baby Boomers Moving In With Adult Children

Financial Resource for Care

To complicate the matters of trying to provide care is the issue of how to pay for it whether in our homes or ALF's. Lacking the finances reduces the choices that can be made. There is a little known VA Improved Pension available to veterans and their surviving spouses that can represent over $23,000 a year to help offset these costs and provide better choices. This is a Pension and is not Disability. Meaning that the veteran did not have to be injured during their time of service in order to be eligible. The Pension consists of Basic, Housebound and Aid and Attendance.

As the daughter of a WWII veteran, I discovered the Pension at the passing of my dad. I filed for the benefit on behalf of my mom as his widow and got the Pension awarded to her. If we had known about this Pension for the entire time they were in care for 9 years, it would have been over $160,000 to help pay for their care. Dad's pension left thousands owed each month that we as a family had to cover.

When my mom passed, I made a vow to somehow make a difference for another son or daughter as well as honoring the sacrifice of service to this country. I created veteranaid.org which is dedicated to educating and informing the general public. Improved Pension is the single most under utilized VA benefit. Millions have and still are missing out. I hope this information will make a difference for someone you love.

Debbie Burak of VA @ Sep 19, 2009 13:34:44 PM