From: cblais1@shaw.ca
Thanks Susan - Glad to hear that your dad has the benefits - it will really
make a big difference when the time comes or if his health really
deteriorates towards the end as our dad's did.
Claire
"Susan" wrote in message
news:1176600644.699991.179150@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> My sympathies on the loss of your father, Claire.
>
> Thank you for sharing the important information about DVA benefits and
> Last Post - I'm sure that there are many people out there who could
> apply, but haven't.
>
> My father gets a DVA pension for hearing loss caused by being too
> close to artillery and firing ranges without ear protection. Even with
> hearing aids in both ears, he misses some of the things we say.
>
> Susan
>
> On Apr 14, 12:08 pm, "Claire \(Mason\) Blais" wrote:
> > 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
>
>
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