Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Secretary Nicholson: VA Reaches Out to Veterans and Spouses

“Aid and Attendance” an Under-Used Benefit

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to inform wartime veterans and surviving spouses of deceased wartime veterans about an under-used, special monthly pension benefit called Aid and Attendance.

“Veterans have earned this benefit by their service to our nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “We want to ensure that every veteran or surviving spouse who qualifies has the chance to apply.”

Although this is not a new program, not everyone is aware of his or her potential eligibility. The Aid and Attendance pension benefit may be available to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who have in-home care or who live in nursing-homes or assisted-living facilities.

Many elderly veterans and surviving spouses whose incomes are above the congressionally mandated legal limit for a VA pension may still be eligible for the special monthly Aid and Attendance benefit if they have large medical expenses, including nursing home expenses, for which they do not receive reimbursement.

To qualify, claimants must be incapable of self support and in need of regular personal assistance.

The basic criteria for the Aid and Attendance benefit include the inability to feed oneself, to dress and undress without assistance, or to take care of one’s own bodily needs. People who are bedridden or need help to adjust special prosthetic or orthopedic devices may also be eligible, as well as those who have a physical or mental injury or illness that requires regular assistance to protect them from hazards or dangers in their daily environment.

For a wartime veteran or surviving spouse to qualify for this special monthly pension, the veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military service, one day of which was during a period of war, and be discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

Wartime veterans who entered active duty on or after September 8, 1980, (October 16, 1981, for officers) must have completed at least 24 continuous months of military service or the period for which they were ordered to active duty.

If all requirements are met, VA determines eligibility for the Aid and Attendance benefit by adjusting for un-reimbursed medical expenses from the veteran’s or surviving spouse’s total household income. If the remaining income amount falls below the annual income threshold for the Aid and Attendance benefit, VA pays the difference between the claimant’s household income and the Aid and Attendance threshold.

The Aid and Attendance income threshold for a veteran without dependents is now $18,234 annually. The threshold increases to $21,615 if a veteran has one dependent, and by $1,866 for each additional dependent. The annual Aid and Attendance threshold for a surviving spouse alone is $11,715. This threshold increases to $13,976 if there is one dependent child, and by $1,866 for each additional child.

Additional information and assistance in applying for the Aid and Attendance benefit may be obtained by calling 1-800-827-1000. Applications may be submitted on-line at http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp. Information is also available on the Internet at www.va.gov or from any local veterans service organization.

From Johns Hopkins...The Stress of Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s

With an illness such as Alzheimer’s, the most neglected person in the family is often the caregiver. Studies report that 46% of all caregivers are depressed, experience anger, frustration, and helplessness.

The long-term care provided by family members to people with Alzheimer’s disease is a central component of our health care system. At present, about 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, with the number expected to range between 11 and 16 million by 2050. Dementia is now present in 10% of people age 65 and older, and in almost half of people older than 85. As our population ages, many people will be called to serve as caregivers for loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

If you are caring for a mother, father, spouse, or friend with Alzheimer’s disease, you know how challenging, even overwhelming, the task can feel. In a recent issue of the Johns Hopkins Memory Bulletin, medical editor Peter V. Rabins, M.D. shared some frequently asked questions he has received from people caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. (Continued)

Stress hormones appear to rapidly exacerbate the formation of brain lesions that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at UC Irvine. The findings suggest that managing stress and reducing certain medications prescribed for the elderly could slow down the progression of this devastating disease. (continued)

When is it time for a person with dementia to stop driving? New research and recent recommendations offer some insights.

After decades of freedom and independence, many people with dementia are reluctant to stop driving. But the decline in cognition found in people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease often makes them unsafe drivers. For example, people with dementia are about three to five times as likely as others their age to be involved in a car crash. To read the rest of the story, click here.

Dementia with Lewy bodies is a less-common form of dementia than Alzheimer’s disease but has special considerations when it comes to treatment.

Dementia with Lewy bodies accounts for 15% to 20% of cases of dementia. Researchers are uncertain whether it is a type of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease or, in fact, a separate condition. Regardless, proper diagnosis and treatment can help relieve symptoms and slow cognitive loss. Lewy bodies – named from Frederick Lewy, the physician who first identified them in 1912 while working in the laboratory of Dr. Alois Alzheimer -- are tiny spherical deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclean that are found in the brains of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies. The presence of Lewy bodes throughout the brain disrupts the brain’s normal functioning. (continued)