Specailly Adapted Housing and the VA...

[Jeff Long]

I apologize if this has been mentioned and - like everything but a good meal - I missed it!

I just got a letter from the VA telling me that a review of my file, mandated on Feb 11, 2014determined that I am eligible for a Specially Adapted Housing grant. Seemed odd since I had not even applied for the grant.

This clarified it for me, and for those who may not have the superior PVA reps that we do here in NC, it may be helpful to you as well:

End of the letter says "As of December 2, 2013, VA regulations allow automatic issuance of a certificate of eligibility for Specially Adapted Housing for veterans service connected for ALS." I know from the PVA newsletters that they have been lobbying for this to happen.

I tend to know less than all others, so clarification should come from your VA or PVA rep!

 

[frankb]

- - - Thanks for bringing up this subject. Received a letter from the VA today indicating the mandated review of my file on Feb 20, 2014 resulted in the granting entitlement to specially adapted housing (SAH). Good news and I am certainly pleased. However (always a "however"), attached to the letter is a listing of requirements for SAH (loss of use of hands, legs, etc). I am still mobile without special equipment so perhaps now with this granting of entitlement I can at least get the ball rolling before being totally incapacitated. Will call PVA tomorrow to get an interpretation.

 

[zoohouse]

Although my husband moved to Canada he was still able to get the grant, and we used it to make sure that our new home was fully ADA approved. You can use the grant to do renovations on your home as well, like widening doorways, and doing bathroom modifications. We had an inspector come from Washington to make sure that our house was fully adapted, and he was extremely accommodating. Because Tim was not able to stand anymore, and was losing the use of his arms, we did not have to have grab bars in the bathroom, or ADA compliant kitchen sink or stove, as he would not be doing anything in the kitchen.
The PVA reps are excellent, at advocating for vets that are affected by ALS, and also telling what you will be eligible for. There is also a $200,000 mortgage insurance policy for ALS vets, unfortunately not for those who live in other countries.

Paulette

 

[Jeff Long]

frankb,
I am in the same boat... except for my really bad speech and breathing issues, all of my 'parts and pieces' still work. Obviously, stamina and strength are poor, but I do have use of my arms and legs. The VA rep is coming out next week for an interview, so I'll be able to ask him how much 'proactive' adaptation can take place. I am grateful for the change in eligibility rules and don't want or intend to take advantage of the program, but we've all read countless stories from those who have gone before us on this journey about how it is so difficult to keep pace with (let alone stay ahead of) the coming changes.

 

[MaxEidswick]

I, also, received the SAH this month. I have not had anyone contact us yet, but am interested in your experiences.

Max

 

[pearshoot]

was interviewed last week, don't need everything they require, my bathroom with small roll-in shower would be out of commission of extended period of time, waivers would be asked for, ramp for inside walk-in garage door would eliminate parking space. too many hoops to jump through, going to turn it down at this time

 

[jellis86]

My Wife is valiantly working on our SAH grant, getting bids etc. But the requirements are many and we will need to apply for waivers.

Its funny too in that we are also using the HISA grant to modify our bathroom, which has been awarded to a contractor....thing is, the SAH requirements for bathrooms are more stringent than the HISA, so we even need waivers on a VA grant modified bathroom. Left hand right hand!

 

[zoohouse]

Getting a waiver was the easiest part of the protocol. We submitted the same documentation 3 times, as our case worker kept losing it. We actually sent everything registered, but in the end she was transferred thankfully, and we got a new caseworker. But we have it all done now, and our home is amazing. Because Tim lives in Canada with me, it made it even more complicated. The case worker actually flew out from Washington DC to inspect and was very impressed. Thankfully our other home sold quickly, actually before we had the new house built. We had to stay at my sisters for a couple of weeks until we could get into the house.

 

[maryhahnward]

I found the HISA grant to be a serious problem to work with. Maybe it is the prosthetics department that has made this cumbersome. They have also made getting coverage for my husband's service dog a long, drawn out process. He has been waiting on the approval for the dog since last June. We got her anyway because he didn't want to wait for the approval. I'm glad we did, she is the best thing for him....off topic I know but I'd thought I'd through that in there for context. We decided to hold off on the HISA grant until the renovations are complete with the SAH grant.

There is no question the SAH can be quite a process. My conversation with other veterans who have used this grant all seem to have a different experience. It depends on who your housing agent is and how quickly you can get the plans together for approval. The waivers are easy and should not be considered an obstacle. The waiver is as simple as this "I waive my right to have my kitchen renovated to accommodate my needs because I have a full-time caregiver (usually spouse) who cooks and take cares of my meals" ....done, that's a waiver. The veteran and the housing agent will decide together what should be waived.

If you are a veteran that needs these accommodations like yesterday you should be able to move this through rather quickly. My husband needs it but is not in dire need.

Just as an FYI - it really is one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. The HISA grant is from prosthetics and is generated by a request from your VA doctor. The SAH grant is entirely separate. Two pots of money from two different sources with no communication between them.

Someone mentioned the Veteran Mortgage Life Insurance, it's a good idea if you still have a mortgage. It is a total value of $200,000 which will be paid to the mortgage company upon the death of the veteran, so you can buy the amount of insurance you need. It is a monthly premium that will be taken out of your monthly compensation. There is a premium calculator if you google it you can find it easily. The insurance kicks either when the shovel hits the ground on the project or the project is complete, that is the veteran's choice.

Also off topic - there are other benefits for the Veteran with ALS - at 100% your spouse and/or dependent children will qualify for ChampUS, which is health insurance that works pretty well, I've been using it for a year and a half. I was able to purchase a supplemental plan for $54 a month that has been quite useful at times. Between ChampUS and getting an online teaching job I've been able to leave the physical classroom to care for and spend time with my awesome spouse, a vet with ALS. Dental benefits are now available as well for the dependents and the veteran. This is a benefit as of January of this year.

A power wheel chair and accessible van are also benefits that a veteran with ALS may qualify for. It has made our life incredible easier to have both of these. I understand the van can be traded in every two years but we have not hit that mark yet. I'll look into to it soon and see if it is something we should do.

There is also Special Monthly Compensation which is a higher monthly amount than 100%. It has to be applied for usually by your PVA if you have one. It is easier with the PVA if they are a good one. Jeff Long and my husband have the same PVA and Jeff is right he is quite the man, don't know where we would be without him.

For those of you struggling with the bureaucracy of the SAH grant I hope you hang in there. You can push it by calling and nudging. I hope you don't give up. Everyone I talk to who has seen it to completion have been quite satisfied with the end product and improvement in quality of life.

 

[Nuts]

Can you give me a little clarification on the HISA grant? The telemedicine clinic came out and looked over our house and said the prosthetics department would purchase the ramp. They have issued the purchase order. Is that paid for by the HISA allowance? We have not done a separate application for HISA--is it automatic when the doctor prescribes?

 

[maryhahnward]

They may just be ordering the ramp for you and bypassing the HISA grant. HISA is generated from the Prosthetics department. If the HISA grant is not being used for the ramp then you can use it for other concerns in the house as long as the doctor agrees that you need it. You usually need to get 3 companies to come out and give an estimate. Then those companies submit their bid to the Prosthetics department.

 

[Jeff Long]

Received the following from ALSA Advocacy today:

VA Makes Specially Adaptive Housing Grant Eligibility Automatic for Veterans and Servicemembers Living with ALS

News Releases - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs