U.S. VETERANS AND SPOUSES CAN RECEIVE MONEY FOR IN-HOME CARE
By Tammye McDuff
U. S. Veterans and their spouses are invited to a free educational presentation about the Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit Program on Monday, August 29, 2016, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at St. Irenaeus Parish Hall, 5201 Evergreen Avenue in Cypress.
Presented in association with Comfort Keepers, KNR consulting will engage guest speaker Neta Wenrick, Community Outreach Coordinator in offering veterans information on over-looked benefits.
The Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit can be used by U.S. Veterans, their spouses or both married veterans to pay for In-Home Care service. Attendees will learn about who qualifies, War Period Eligibility, required documents, information and how to apply monthly pension benefits. Attendees will also be informed on what physical and health condition of the Veteran qualifies for the program.
For those who qualify, the Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit would provide a supplemental tax-free income for wartime veterans and their spouses, solely to be used for In-Home Care services.
All U.S. Veterans and their spouses are encouraged to attend this presentation on Veterans In-Home Care Benefit Program so that they will already have pertinent information if and when they will need it in the future
Kevin Richards, CEO of KNR consulting is an Investment Advisor. In the financial services industry, there are generally two kinds of people offering advice: Registered Representatives and Investment Advisors. Many investors aren’t aware differences exist. One of the main differences is that Investment Advisors have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of their clients at all times.
The focus of KNR Consulting Group is to develop relationships with individuals and families in order to gain the trust and confidence in the team’s financial services. At KNR Consulting Group, they preserve and protect the clients’ nest eggs so they can experience their dreams without worrying about finances. “I want to be involved in my clients’ lives for the long-term, not just make a quick transaction,” says Richards.
Richards is passionate about educating his clients about Social Security, government benefits, and legacy planning. Providing answers to clients’ questions concerning their 401(k), IRAs, life insurance, annuities, and health insurance, KNR specializes in helping medical professionals and business owners implement innovative financial strategies and planning that can lead to financial clarity and security. “Working independently means that I’m not limited to working with one product, “adds Richards, “I have a plethora of tools at my disposal to develop a customized plan that will help you fulfill your financial dreams.”
Wenrick will be available for further discussion during the Question and Answer period following her presentation.
Reservations are not required for this free educational presentation.
For more information, contact Monica Kovach, St. Irenaeus Health Ministry, at 714-826-0760.
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The Aid and Attendance benefit can be a great help to senior veterans and their spouses who need help paying for care. I suggest the website http://www.VeteranAid.org. It tells you how to apply for the Aid and Attendance benefit and has a large amount of information regarding the benefit.
California legislature approves bill to help in-home caregivers
Cathyleen Williams, of Barstow, Ca, holds a doll that holds the ashes of her son, Caleb Lucas. Caleb died in March of this year after a 9 1/2 year battle with a congenital heart defect. After spending a decade as Caleb’s caregiver, Cathyleen is now scrambling for a job since a loophole in state law means that in-home caregiver parents cannot collect unemployment after their child dies, which isn’t true for other relatives. (File photo by Sarah Alvarado for the Sun)
Cathyleen Williams, of Barstow, Ca, holds a doll that holds the ashes of her son, Caleb Lucas. Caleb died in March of this year after a 9 1/2 year battle with a congenital heart defect. After spending a decade as Caleb’s caregiver, Cathyleen is now scrambling for a job since a loophole in state law means that in-home caregiver parents cannot collect unemployment after their child dies, which isn’t true for other relatives. (
Caleb Lucas peers out the door, wishing he can play outside in the rain on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 at his home in Barstow. Lucas, 7, was able to attend elementary school with his classes via Skype at nearby Cameron Elementary School, but was unable to attend in person due to his weak immune system. (File photo by LaFonzo Carter/Staff Photographer)
Caleb Lucas peers out the door, wishing he can play outside in the rain on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 at his home in Barstow. Lucas, 7, was able to attend elementary school with his classes via Skype at nearby Cameron Elementary School, but was unable to attend in person due to his weak immune system. (File photo by LaFonzo Carter/Staff Photographer)
SACRAMENTO >> Help may be on the way for mothers such as Cathyleen Williams, although it’ll arrive too late to help her.
Barstow resident Williams spent nine and a half years caring for her son, Caleb Lucas. He was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, with half of his heart doing all the work.
Caleb’s heart pumped well enough to give him between 70 or 80 percent of the oxygen levels in normal blood. His poor circulation left him with bluish lips, cold skin and skeletal limbs. Caleb also suffered from heart attacks and strokes, leaving him with the mental ability of a 2-year-old.
His weak immune system left him and Williams trapped at home, and he had to attend class at a school less than a tenth of a mile away via Skype.
During Caleb’s short life, he underwent 50 surgeries, including 10 open-heart surgeries, had a rebuilt aorta and stent inserted and a pacemaker installed earlier this year. Caleb’s health was never bad enough for him to qualify for the heart transplant list, given the small number of transplants available for children each year.
And throughout his struggle, Williams worked as an In-Home Supportive Services caregiver, her previous careers as a preschool teacher and civilian employee at nearby Ft. Irwin forgotten.
But when Caleb died from influenza on March 18, there was a second blow for Williams: Due to a loophole in state law, she cannot collect unemployment for being an In-Home Supportive Services worker because the person she was taking care of was her child, rather than another relative or someone unrelated.
The loophole also applies to those taking care of their spouses.
She also lost the Social Security Disability payments she was receiving on his behalf from the federal government and the child support payments from her ex-husband, leaving her worried about the prospect of losing her house. (Williams is accepting donations via a crowdfunding site while she looks for new full-time work.)
But help may be on the way for those in Williams situation: Assembly Bill 1930, introduced in February by Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, would create an In-Home Supportive Services Family Caregiver Benefits Advisory Committee to look at the situation of caregivers like her and create a report by Jan. 1, 2018.
The report would include “recommendations on steps the state can take to ensure that all IHSS providers who provide supportive services to a spouse or child have access to employment-based supports and protections, including, but not limited to, federal Social Security benefits and state unemployment insurance benefits,” the bill reads.
The bill was approved by the Assembly on June 1 and the state Senate on Aug. 16. On Tuesday, the rewritten version approved by the Senate was passed by the Assembly,
“I’m just so happy,” Williams said Tuesday. “It’s just one step closer to making sure no other parent or spouse will ever go through what I have.”
She’s now hoping to meet Gov. Jerry Brown and urge him to sign the bill. His deadline to do so is Sep. 30.
“If I could meet and talk with him I would just explain to him how important this change is and how hard it was for me and please to not allow that to happen again,” she said.