A release form does not file a claim, and it does not appoint anyone to act for Dad. It tells VA which named person may receive information about his file. That is a narrow permission, and it is easy to sign without reading the scope. Read it before the pen moves.

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.

Know which form does what

VA Form 21-0845 is an authorization to disclose personal information to a named third party.1 It is different from an appointment of a representative, which uses VA Form 21-22 and names the person authorized to act on the claim.2 A family may need one, the other, both, or neither, depending on who is handling what. Ask the person offering help which form they are asking you to sign and why.

Read the scope line by line

Check five things on the page before signing. The name and contact details of the person receiving information. Whether the authorization covers claim information only or wider records. Whether it has an end date or stays open until withdrawn. Who signs for the veteran if he cannot sign himself, and whether that person has the authority to do so. Whether any line the form expects you to fill in has been left blank.

Keep a paid helper off the form by default

A hired non-medical caregiver is not the right person to name on a release unless the family has decided that on purpose. Naming a helper gives that person access to information about Dad's claim, and the family should weigh that choice before the form is signed. If the family is unsure who should be named, pause and get advice from someone outside the household, such as a lawyer in your state for questions about who may sign for him.

How to stop it later

Ask whether the form ends on its own or stays open until withdrawn. If it stays open, make any withdrawal request in writing, keep a copy with the signed original, and check the form instructions for where to send it. St. Louis help for reading these forms is listed on Local Help: St. Louis Offices.

Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Notes

  1. VA forms index, search for VA Form 21-0845: https://www.va.gov/find-forms/
  2. VA Form 21-22, Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative: https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-22/