From: cblais1@shaw.ca   
      
   Haven't posted for quite a while - we lost our Dad on March 29/07 - after a   
   long 5 months in hospital. As much as we were relieved that he was finally   
   "home" where he kept asking to be especially in the last month - we miss him   
   very much and haven't quite come to grips yet with the fact that we won't be   
   seeing him again in this life.   
      
   Sometime when I'm feeling a bit stronger - remind me to post about the   
   pitfalls of not pre-planning/pre-paying for your funeral - Whew what an   
   experience! And the expense was astronomical for what we got - did most of   
   it ourselves (catharsis factors).   
      
   Dad never did qualify for any DVA benefits although he served in both WWII   
   with the army and for 10 years during peacetime in the airforce - which   
   would have helped his wife with the costs of caring for him in the last   
   couple of year and ultimately with the funeral.  In the end the contractor   
   who does the hearing tests for DVA wouldn't come and complete the tests as   
   Dad had an infection (was not highly contagious- he wasn't in isolation)and   
   this would have been the easiest way for him to qualify. Dad put off for   
   years applying for any DVA benefits - he managed nicely he said, on his Fed   
   Govt Pension and didn't need the small amount of money he would have been   
   able to get.  However that said - the medical benefits and end of life   
   benefits would have been very helpful.   
      
   If any of you have parents who would qualify but are reluctant to go through   
   the process please encourage them on - the medical stuff - is far and above   
   whatever a person can get from a normal health care provider (they help with   
   transport costs to and from medical appointments and help with special   
   equipment needed to maintain independance etc.) and they cover the full cost   
   of the funeral if you are in receipt of a pension from them. This  leaves   
   the one(s) behind with a little more to manage on.   
      
   Dad didn't qualify for last post fund either (too much cash in the bank) but   
   only by a bit and it's a qualify or don't scenario - so if you don't there's   
   no help - not a sliding scale - Last Post is not that much money   
   ($3,600-max) but every little bit would help someone.   
      
   Neither DVA or Last Post are very user friendly systems so be prepared to   
   deal with "big business" - but that said it's worth the effort.   
      
   Someone on the group posted years ago about where a person could apply to   
   get a copy of a person's military records once they were deceased - any one   
   remember where - my sibs are I are thinking that we would like to get a copy   
   of our Dad's to put with the family history stuff.   
      
   Thanks   
   Claire   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)