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Does anyone know how long the process takes for getting my 93-year-old dad into a bed at the VA hospital? He has not had his care there but is a veteran. Does he have to be on mass health? We are bringing him home today, not sure how that will work out. At least we have this option. I feel alot of doom about bringing him home. It is very stressful. We will do our best.

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VA HOSPITAL or VA NURSING HOME?

Why are you accepting discharge to your home if you have misgivings, and have a not-so-great relationship with your dad?

Have you told the discharge planners this is an unsafe discharge?

Many years ago, a wise discharge planner told me NEVER to accept discharge home; facility to facility placement gets you past the waiting lists.
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Katefalc Oct 2022
This is absolutely correct
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any Veteran can get care at the VA hospital.
Not any Veteran can get into a VA "home". (pretty sure the requirement is the Veteran needs to be classified as 100% Service Connected disability. That can be established with a search of his Service records. It will be determined by where and when he (or she) served and "injuries" sustained during service) This can be established by contacting the VA or contacting your local Veterans Assistance Commission. This service is FREE when using either of these options.
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Katefalc Oct 2022
This information is INCORRECT. ALL veterans are eligible ( as well as veteran spouses) for a veterans home. My husband just passed away in June at the veterans home here in Ct. you just need to contact them and speak to the admitting office and apply. You need the veterans DD 214 ( discharge papers). If you decide to apply for Medicaid benefits to help With the cost, that application process is time Consuming, however, admission can still happen while waiting for those benefits to kick in but payment will come from your pocket. Insurance does not pay for long-term care, Unless you have a long-term care insurance. In order to get Medicaid benefits to help pay for a veterans facility the only requirement is that the veteran must have served during war time. My husband served during the Vietnam war, however, We were stationed in Germany but it was during the Vietnam war. The care at the Veterans facility in Connecticut was fantastic and my husband was treated with the utmost of dignity and respect. I am forever grateful for the wonderful care and they’re loving attitudes towards my husband and myself.
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Here is an article from NOLO about eligibility:

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/veterans-eligibility-va-nursing-home-care.html
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"We are bringing him home today, not sure how that will work out. At least we have this option. I feel alot of doom about bringing him home. It is very stressful. We will do our best."

I echo Barb's questions. Why are you bringing him home? Did you tell the discharge planners it would be an unsafe discharge?

"We decided the next step would be hospice at his own house. He is very heavy to lift and has lost strength throughout his body."

So he's on hospice at his house? Who's staying with him 24/7 and lifting him? YOU? 
 
"Right now hes at home and it is exhausting caring for him. We need professional help."

Yes. Why did you bring him home without professional help?
 
"We do not want him in a nursing home as we heard their terrible. Not enough staff and subpar care."

So here you now are, without any help, correct? Are you now living at his house to be the live-in caregiver?

I may have missed it, but how/why did you take all of this on? You got input from this forum nearly a month ago, and appear to have ignored it. What do you expect now?
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Lovely, you really need to consult with a VA representative, or someone from the American Legion or VFW or other organization that assists Veterans. DO NOT pay for this service; some attorneys offer "seminars" to collect clients, under the guise of helping them qualify for VA services. This is a misnomer; charging for the services is illegal.

Best thing you can do quickly is locate a local VA hospital or American Legion or VFW group that provides these kinds of services. They can tell you more quickly what your options are. There are folks at these services who specialize in assisting Veterans and are much more knowledgeable and up to date with the issues.

The qualification process varies by individual, but will be quicker if you locate your father's DD 214 before applying.

Searc for VA Hospitals or VA offices in Woburn, MA; then call and ask what qualification processes are available at that office.

Some states have offices at the County or State level as well.
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Nursing homes are not all terrible. Some of them are wonderful and provide the care a patient such as your dad needs. Often employees are dedicated to their jobs; they have to be in order to take care of their patients. I'm sorry you decided to take him home. Professionals know what they are doing, and relatives do not. It's a steep learning curve, and he doesn't have much time left. Good luck, you'll need it.
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You could have had Dad transferred to Longterm care from the hospital at his expense or applying for Medicaid. Hospice could be done at the LTC facility.

As said Hospice at home requires someone be there 24/7. Thats either family or you hire aides. Once admitted you get a Nurse maybe 2x a week. And aide maybe 3x a week for an hour to bathe the person. You maybe able to get an aide for longer than that. Depends on how much staff that Hospice has.

Unless you hire an aide, family does most of the work.

My friends husband was in the service for 2 yrs, one of those years was in Viet Nam. He had Dementia and needed more care than his wife could give. He applied for the VA home 45 min away. They take by need, I think. Meaning those whose disabilities are military related get care first. He was placed in LTC until a bed came open. He passed there.
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Call your local veterans administration for help. You can also call the VA facility yourself and speak to someone in admissions. Good luck . They are wonderful !!
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Katefalc Oct 2022
You can also contact Veterans angels for help. Google them for the number.
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Contact your local Veterans Home for a Admitance packet..you'll need his DD-214, POA if you have it and three months worth of bank statements etc.. The Veterans home will advise you. The waiting period depends on the Staff at the Veterans Home and how long of a waiting list they have for beds and your Dads specific health requirements...for instance, it may take longer for a bed if its in a memory unit. Sometimes its a few weeks...sometimes a few months. It took a year for my husband. Im paying 5500.00 a month to keep him there however, if your Dad cant afford to pay then they'll take his income into consideration ..also it will depend too on whether or not he's service connected. If you dont know if he is or not then take his SSN or service number and call the Veterans Administration and they can tell you. He doesn't have to have any major health issues to get into a Veterans Home...
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Hello,
Do you mean a Veteran ( VA) retirement community/nursing home OR, do you mean a VA Hospital ? For many VA " retirement communities/nursing homes the wait can be lengthy. Some VA "hospitals " have different pt. care areas such as for " palliative care", or " hospice". So..... I really suggest that you best answer(s) are going to come from calling a VA hospital or Veteran Retirement/Nursing Home (s) that are near you and asking them to explain their processes for admission, requirements, cost(s), wait times , other criteria.
Or you can go by a VA hospital and speak with them. They are usually very helpful with information. You will need certain veteran documents for your father such as honorable discharge papers ( forms) etc and the VA systems can best tell you about these. In the meantime, please practice good self care for yourself and other family members...... This is indeed a time of grief about the changes and displacement that aging and illness bring. Best regards..
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Lovely244: I shudder to think how this played out one week ago - moving your father with "Alzhemeir's/dementia" (per your profile) into your home. It's a moot point now especially since you had apprehension BEFORE doing so. Perhaps you can still access VA.gov to garner the information that you were looking for.
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I dont think Masshealth is paying for Nursing homes any more . What you could do is call Boston Senior Home care they have a Branch out in Western Mass and try getting a CNA to bathe him , Meals on Wheels and VNA for a Nurse and Physical therapy . The Hospitals case Manager should Have set up a discharge plan . Boston Senior home care is good and they charge medicare . Look them up. I suggest you find His Discharge Papers and contact veterans affairs . Also contact Mass health .
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My dad has a disability from his time in navy.. he was declared 60% disabled from a nonwartime accident affecting his dominate hand... He told my sister his POA he wanted to go to a veteran home when his time came .. even specifying which home.

After he fell my sister ran did much to try to make this happen.. finally got the number for this state veterans to office..

He is ineligible. Cause he recieved veterans disability benefits through the years so he is capped on anymore benefits and his assets r too high.. if he had been a financially insecure veteran he would have qualified for a veteran home.. that is fair. The veteran home he had selected years ago looks like a very nice place with very good care....bummer they all aren't like that. She got the veteran phone number to call by asking a veteran
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