The aid and attendance claim depends on a medical statement, and the paper the doctor signs may matter more than any other single page in the packet. VA's form for this purpose asks the examining clinician to describe the veteran's conditions and what the veteran can and cannot do without help.1 The family's job is to make sure the statement is complete, accurate, and on the correct form. The family's job is not to write its answers.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

What the form asks

The examination form for housebound status or permanent need for regular aid and attendance carries the number 21-2680, and the clinician completes and signs it. Its questions focus on function: which activities of daily living need help, what the veteran can do unassisted, and which conditions produce the limit.1 Before the appointment, ask the office whether it will complete the VA form itself, rather than a general letter. Ask also whether the examination date and the clinician's contact details will appear on the form.

Read it before it goes out

  • Compare the answers with the daily log. If the log shows hands-on help with bathing every day and the form says he bathes independently, one of them is wrong, and a reviewer will notice the mismatch.
  • Ask the clinician to describe function in plain terms, such as needing hands-on help to rise from a chair, rather than naming a diagnosis alone.
  • Check the veteran's name, the examination date, and the signature block against the records already on file.
  • Keep a copy of what the office sent and a note of what it kept. If the office cannot produce a copy, ask why.

What the family should not do

Do not fill in the medical answers, do not sign on the clinician's behalf, and do not ask the office to change an answer to fit a target amount. Changes should come from the clinician's own review of the veteran. The family can share the log and ask the office to consider it, which is the appropriate channel. The Sources page lists the VA pages used across this desk for the exact form references.

1 VA.gov, Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits page, and the VA forms listing for form 21-2680.