Great News for Vets; Good News for Others

[dalvin]

Max, reference the docking feature. Once your paperwork for the van comes back approved, they should add the docking bolt on your chair if they require it in the van. Takes 2-3 hours to install.
I'd never heard of the docking device before my paperwork came through but the va required it on my van so the modification to my chair was covered as part of the vehicle mod grant

 

[Graybeard]

What happens with the SAH grant if the PALS dies mid-way in the project?

 

[MaxEidswick]

>What happens with the SAH grant if the PALS dies mid-way in the project?

the funds are pre-allocated and escrowed upon gc approval ....

 

[DreamsEnd]

Our VA experience has been very poor but we have learned a lot from it. I have fought the housing benefit all the way to the Central Office in DC. I also climbed the PVA ladder to DC. We got action and if anyone wants the contacts just pm me and I'll share. Do not be afraid to rock the boat. The central office executives REALLY DO CARE and they want to know if our vets are not being served!

Evidently there are 8 regional VA Benefit offices and they have quite a bit of autonomy even though they are all required to provide prompt services to ALS Vets. Our region has a poor history but it's getting fixed for the Veterans coming behind mine.

Sherry

 

[Graybeard]

The Phoenix office was quick with preliminary approval for my SAH grant. I hope to submit building plans next week.

GB

 

[MaxEidswick]

>I hope to submit building plans next week.

3 gc quotes? did they do the architecture?

 

[Graybeard]

Thanks for asking, Max.

My project is to build a VA approved room over a new garage, complete with 3-stop lift. Since it will easily cost twice the SAH limit, I'm paying the architect and engineer in advance, so I can get the best bids from 3 general contractors. Without plans, a gc would tend to bid high.

GB

 

[Atsugi]

One CAVEAT for all the VA benefits. The veteran must be able to benefit from the benefit. So if the regional office has reason to believe the veteran will not live long enough to benefit from the benefit, they can disapprove it.

 

[sadiemae]

VA was good for the few months we had it. My husband was Army National Guard, during peacetime, and Active Duty was for training only. His was split training, and so he had two rounds of vaccinations. He worked full time for the Guard for six yrs and a yr after we got benefits, they realized they made a CUE(Clear and Unmistakable Error) and his service connection was severed. We appealed with no luck.

 

[maryhahnward]

Hey Mary!

Point to take away is ACT EARLY AND GET THE BALL ROLLING!:shock:

Definitely good advice there Jeff - the PVA rep you and Tom have said that a number of times. Sounds like we are right on target with ground breaking considering we lost a few months for HOA approval. When you fill out your paperwork you can choose to have the VMLI begin when the project begins, a good option for people who feel they are pretty advanced in the disease. We have chosen that option even though he isn't super advanced. Insurance was his field so he is prudent about such things. It is a declining premium, as the mortgage goes down so does the premium.

 

[raven racen]

Veterans are two times more likely to be diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS. It's still a big conundrum as to why vets would be more prone to the degenerative disease. It is good the VA has stepped up and is helping us veteran's to have a better life here in the end. I am asking if they can help me with a commutation device. But I still have no response. I am amazed how mush the things needed cost to have the best quality of life that is possible in the end stages of the illness. They want up to 20.000 for new and 3000 for used coms devices. The Coms may be out of my reach with the meds and the food and supplies needed to stay healthy. I had no idea it cost this much to pass on into heaven. I have no fear and looking back I had the best life no regrets. <<<< Combat Engineer Red Horse Sq, 554 CESHR USAF Project Manager E 6 Vietnam and Korea 9 year URAA Simper fi To The Horse Lead fallow or get out of the way. I raced Nascar in the Whelan racing division for 25 years and I was a Facilities Manager to maintain operations structural division of schools to ensure our children had the best learning environment possible. Good luck to us all. We are in gods hands now.

 

[Nuts]

What a great thread. Does anyone have experience with using Option 4? We got way behind the power curve for several reasons, and now it looks like we'll be making the modifications and then applying for the grant to be applied towards the mortgage. The danger in this approach, of course, is not getting it right. Our VA rep said he'd work with us to help insure that does't happen, but this is making me nervous. When he looked over the house originally he said he could waive a lot of the requirements (such as 36 inch doors to rooms hubby won't enter), but under that scenario we'd know before construction that the waiver had been approved.

 

[Atsugi]

Raven Racen: Since you're a vet, the communications device is provided free of charge to you by the VA. Are you officially rated 100% P&T?

 

[maryhahnward]

Nuts,

We had a lot waived, really, because with ALS they know the vet is going toward independence and self-reliance but rather away from it. For example, he waived any modifications to the kitchen and laundry room. The big deal is access to the shower, toilet, in and out of the house, that kind of thing. Did the housing agent give you the requirements for the modifications in terms of door width, ramp to the house, etc?

 

[raven racen]

I have been going this illness alone. Thus far I have asked for no help with nothing. It is my pride that caused me to react like this. I am a mess so I went underground and stayed away from everyone. In fear it would make it look like I had weakness. I worked right through it until it took my ability to talk Properly. At that point I was no longer able to hide I had something wrong. I took my first flu shot ever and it set off a chain of illnesses one after another over a 6 month time frame I went from able to talk to not being able to talk without the words being slurred badly. The doctor asked if I had an infection or some kind of injury. I replied no all I have done was to take a flu shot and the things I have now all happened right after. They did two mri`s and said I had Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. It is characterized by a widespread attack of inflammation to the brain and spinal cord, that damages myelin protective covering of nerve fibers. ADEM follows viral or bacterial infections or vaccination like a flu shot. The symptoms of ADEM are encephalitis-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures and coma. At one point I had had most all of the symptoms listed short the coma. So I went back to work and struggled on as long as I could. I was in charge of 2 million square feet of school buildings and had to meet with school staff contractors and the media to ensure the needs of the staff and students was being seen to by the contractors doing the modernization projects to the schools. In my area I have applied 4 new systems that state wide saved the tax payer billions in maintenance costs. The ability to apply this was given to me by the USAF CESHR Red Horse Squadron. I constructed air bases in Asia as well projects in 31 other countries. I was second to none at my job in caring for the schools. I did this wile suffering with ALS not knowing I had it for 1 more year. My voice was going away and more slurred speech I was getting tired fast and in the end I fell and had to have help in getting up. Back to the doctors I went and 2 more mri`s he told me I had ALS. My work place had no choice but to bench me. Shortly after I lost my voice 100% and the ability to swallow food and had to have a feeding tube placed. My ability to walk is poor I wobble and will fall if I don't have someone to stabilize me. At this point my doctor said I was 100% disabled I was forced into early retirement. I was placed on SSDI and both saying I was 100& disabled. This the first time I have stepped out side of my comfort zone and have reached out to others for help in information seeing I was in no way able to carry the load I have been handed. New ALS wheelchair up to 25.000 the coms device 20.000 a van 50.000 and to convert the house 30.000 and soon in-home care 50.000 wile my wife works. I pray to my god I had no idea it cost so much to die and ask for the guidance and strength to get this all done. I have not asked the VA if I was 100% P&T. But now I know it is needed I will. In the start I thought I could beat this and come out ok but I see now none do and it takes all that contract it. This is the very first time I have told a single sole about my path and about my illness. I may have to get help in doing all that is needed at the VA, I am in year three from the start. I may need a advocate here to help me.