Page 2 August 13, 2015 TORRANCE TRIBUNE Traveling Tribune in France Legal Aid for Elders KIDS BOWL FREE! 7 Days a Week – 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. KIDS SUMMER MENU $5.50 (plus tax) your choice of: Grilled Cheese Peanut Butter & Jelly Slice of Cheese Pizza Hamburger Hot Dog Apple Juice or Skim Milk Apple Slices or French Fries Register at www.kidsbowlfree.com/palosverdes For more information please call Charlotte at charlotte@pvbowl.com; or 310.326.5120 VA Long-Term Care Benefits: Not Easy to Get, But Worth It Police Reports Mike Vowles holds up the Tribune and the El Segundo Herald in Lake Annecy, France, where he and his wife Sally were on vacation. Photo by Sally Vowles. • Theft 8/2/2015 6:00:00 AM 23900 BLOCK GARNIER ST Suspect(s) takes property off of vehicles parked in dealership lot/ wheels, tires, grills, headlamps Theft 8/1/2015 11:00:00 PM 20700 BLOCK AMIE AVE Suspect(s) removes screen, enters open window, ransacks and takes property/ tablets, laptop, speakers, cell phone, handbags, watch, jewelry Burglary-Auto 8/1/2015 8:45:00 AM 300 BLOCK VIA COLUSA Suspect(s) enters vehicle by unknown means and takes property/ cash Auto Theft 8/1/2015 9:30:00 PM 3600 BLOCK GARNET ST Stolen vehicles: ‘09 and ‘10 ATVs Theft 8/1/2015 10:40:00 AM 19800 BLOCK HAWTHORNE BLVD Suspect(s) takes property from unlocked locker/ wallet Burglary-Auto 8/1/2015 9:39:45 AM 17200 BLOCK HAWTHORNE BLVD Suspect(s) reaches in victim’s vehicle’s open window and takes property/ purse Theft 8/1/2015 6:51:15 AM 3200 BLOCK 187TH PL Suspect(s) removes screen, enters open window and takes property/ safe Burglary-Residential 7/31/2015 11:12:30 PM 22000 BLOCK ANZA AVE Suspect is observed removing window screen and flees when victim screams Burglary-Auto 8/1/2015 9:30:00 AM 22600 BLOCK CERISE AVE Suspect(s) enters vehicle by unknown means and takes property/ skateboard, knife Burglary-Commercial 8/1/2015 12:30:00 PM 24200 BLOCK HAWTHORNE BLVD Suspect(s) pries off screens, forces open windows and takes property/ cases of wine Burglary-Commercial 8/3/2015 7:30:00 AM 3600 BLOCK NEWTON ST Suspect(s) enters classroom by unknown means and takes property/ cabinets Theft 7/31/2015 5:00:00 PM 21600 BLOCK HAWTHORNE BLVD Suspect(s) takes property from table where victim is dining/ cell phone Burglary-Residential 8/2/2015 10:30:00 AM 5000 BLOCK HALISON ST Suspect(s) pries open window for entry and takes property/laptop, jewelry Burglary-Residential 7/31/2015 3:45:00 PM 4800 BLOCK CARMELYNN ST Suspect(s) removes screen on the door window and reaches in to unlock the door, ransacks, flees when the victim arrives home/ wallet Burglary-Residential 7/31/2015 3:30:00 PM 20700 BLOCK ANNRITA AVE Suspect(s) cuts screen, forces open window for entry, ransacks/ unknown property loss at time of report Auto Theft 7/31/2015 6:14 AM 3300 BLOCK ARTESIA BLVD Stolen vehicle: ‘94 Ford P/U Auto Theft 7/30/2015 9:11 PM 1200 BLOCK OPAL ST Stolen vehicle: ‘00 Chevrolet Impala Theft 7/31/2015 6:40:19 AM 17900 BLOCK WESTERN AVE Suspect(s) removes fence bolts to access business lot and takes property from vehicle/ By R. Christine Brown, southbayelderlaw.com A survey conducted by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare reveals a frightening statistic in the United States of Aging survey. 97% of professionals supporting people 60 and older believe that seniors will not be able to afford their health care costs as they age. Only 3% are very confident older Americans will be able to manage health care costs. Not a pretty picture. The high and ever-increasing cost of long-term care is the leading reason that professionals do not believe that seniors will be able to afford their health care. The median price of a private room in a nursing home now costs about $91,000 - an increase of 4% from last year. The survey on aging, reported on in an article in Forbes, offers a glimmer of hope with a look at a little-known program from the VA: “The VA Program That Pays For Long-Term Care for Vets.” About half of us will someday use nursing home care, and many others will need longterm care in assisted living facilities or at home. But here’s a little good news: there’s a little-known Veterans Administration (VA) program that pays for some long-term care costs for vets and their families. It’s called the Aid and Attendance Benefit. This benefit has been around for over 60 years and covers some expenses for in-home care, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This benefit is available to honorably-discharged wartime veterans over age 65 and their widowed spouses who are eligible for a VA pension and require the “aid and attendance” of another person or are housebound. The VA calls this “additional pension benefits for care assistance in the home or in an assisted living community.” Aid and Attendance pays up to: $1,788 per month to a single veteran, $1,149 to a surviving spouse, $2,120 to a married veteran and $2,837 to a veteran couple. The benefit is tax-free. To qualify, the applicant must either require assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) like dressing, bathing, and eating; be bedridden; be a nursing home patient due to mental or physical incapacity; or have eyesight limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field to five degrees or less. Of course there’s a catch: applying for and receiving the money is a real pain in the bottom. The VA estimates it can take on average about five months for an Aid and Attendance claim to be processed after a veteran applies to a VA regional office. Even so, some applicants have been crushed with red tape and much longer waits. The article tells the story of Frank Fassnacht, an 84-year-old former Disney projectionist now living in a Motion Picture & Television Fund home. He applied for the benefit three years ago, and still no luck. Because of the VA’s high turnover rate, it’s hard to find a consistent person to help you. One other thing to note: a veteran may be turned down for the Aid and Attendance benefit if his or her assets are too great. The VA doesn’t have a strict rule on how much assets one can have, but it’s typically no more than $80,000 (not including your home), depending on age. The article advises you to seek the assistance of an elder law attorney to apply. The rules and paperwork can be super difficult, so a qualified attorney can really be a help. He or she can also assist you in preserving assets. Also, you should be ready to document your long-term care expenses and provide all the application materials. For more information and articles on estate planning and elder law topics, please visit our website and sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter. You can also friend our law practice’s Facebook page (R Christine Brown). • See Police, page 12
Torrance_081315_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above