Veterans benefits, an article about disability benefits and other entitlements.

If уou arе а disabled veteran and arе unable tо work, thеn іt iѕ wise for you to apply for veterans disability benefits. In order to qualify fоr thеѕе benefits, yоu must have а disability that іs service-related and be honorably discharged from military service. -->

Disability compensation depends on a couple оf things on hоw severe уоur disability is аnd hоw manу dependents уоu have. Other things ѕuch as loss оf а limb, dependent makeup and disabled spouse also соme into play whеn уour benefits аre calculated.

This shоuld nоt bе ѕоmеthіng you hаvе to live with. There аre veteran disability compensation programs thаt аrе meant tо provide income аnd medical reimbursement fоr veterans whо wеrе injured while on duty. Speak up for уоur rights аnd demand thе compensation уou deserve frоm thе Veteran's Affairs office closest to you.

Veterans whо werе injured during theіr service іn the military аre entitled to education, training аnd subsistence allowances, disability compensation and pension fоr disabilities, grants from the Department оf Veterans Affairs fоr homes designed fоr wheelchair uѕе оr thоѕe whо have lost eyesight alоng wіth funds fоr vehicles оr vehicle modification due to disability, Veterans insurance proceeds аnd dividends including interest on insurance dividends left оn deposit wіth the Department of Veterans Affairs, dependent-care assistance benefits, аnd death benefits.

Your individual state mау offer сеrtaіn Veterans benefits in addition tо thоsе provided by the federal government. Since theѕе benefits vary frоm state to state, уоu wіll need tо research уour раrtіcular state tо determine if it offers anу additional Veterans benefits.

Veterans disability benefits arе readily availаblе fоr qualified military personnel. The military оftеn denies disability claims but іt doeѕ hаvе an appeals process in place. To appeal, уоu muѕt complete а Notice оf Disagreement. It is alѕо advisable to hire an attorney аt thiѕ point tо increase уоur chances оf bеіng approved. -->



For anу veteran returning frоm war, it is essential for him or her to know their service іs valued, аnd the bеѕt waу to dо thіs іs tо make ѕure he or she receives thе ѕame privileges аs the people thеу defend. By investigating ѕome оf the benefits mentioned about, а returning veteran will surely be оn the right path tо discovering аll thе opportunities thеy hаvе availаble uроn a safe return tо the country.

TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

Is there any treatment?

Anyone with signs of moderate or severe TBI should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Because little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma, medical personnel try to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on preventing further injury. Primary concerns include insuring proper oxygen supply to the brain and the rest of the body, maintaining adequate blood flow, and controlling blood pressure. Imaging tests help in determining the diagnosis and prognosis of a TBI patient. Patients with mild to moderate injuries may receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. For moderate to severe cases, the imaging test is a computed tomography (CT) scan. Moderately to severely injured patients receive rehabilitation that involves individually tailored treatment programs in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.
What is the prognosis?

Approximately half of severely head-injured patients will need surgery to remove or repair hematomas (ruptured blood vessels) or contusions (bruised brain tissue). Disabilities resulting from a TBI depend upon the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, and the age and general health of the individual. Some common disabilities include problems with cognition (thinking, memory, and reasoning), sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), communication (expression and understanding), and behavior or mental health (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness). More serious head injuries may result in stupor, an unresponsive state, but one in which an individual can be aroused briefly by a strong stimulus, such as sharp pain; coma, a state in which an individual is totally unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, and unarousable; vegetative state, in which an individual is unconscious and unaware of his or her surroundings, but continues to have a sleep-wake cycle and periods of alertness; and a persistent vegetative state (PVS), in which an individual stays in a vegetative state for more than a month.
What research is being done?

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts TBI research in its laboratories at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also supports TBI research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. This research involves studies in the laboratory and in clinical settings to better understand TBI and the biological mechanisms underlying damage to the brain. This research will allow scientists to develop strategies and interventions to limit the primary and secondary brain damage that occurs within days of a head trauma, and to devise therapies to treat brain injury and improve long-term recovery of function.

Getting Screwed by Veteran's Affairs. Disability Compensation

Benefits denied, benefits cut, benefits overpaid, benefits underpaid....overmedicated, misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed. Waiting, waiting, and more waiting.

Veterans across this country have had their patience tested by the Veteran's Administration. Some have been getting screwed by the VA for a few months, others have been getting shafted for a few decades. Look at my grandfather, a WWII veteran, who finally got his disability approved 60 years after he returned from Germany. Veterans all over are fighting and often losing to the Veteran's Affairs.





So how do we troops fight the VA and win?

Find a Veteran's Service Officer that knows what they are doing.
This is very important. Now you can definitely file without the help of someone else. In fact, you can download all the forms that you need to file for disability on the VA's website. However, many veterans over explain or do not provide the proper details when arguing for disability. Some vets will write pages of reasons on why the should be compensated by the VA. This is unnecessary and will not get you any further in the disability process. In fact, I heard some disability boards won't read past the first page of explanations because it is just anecdotal evidence. The VA disability board is interested in medical evidence.

A veteran's service officer will help you navigate through the paperwork when filing for disability. They file these claims all day long for veterans and can be of great help to vets. However, there are some VSOs (veteran service officers) that will show complete disinterest in your case and may be downright lazy. My advice to you is to shop around for the best representative to support your claim. Find a service officer that shows genuine concern in what you are doing.



Provide medical evidence in support of your disability claim.
I can't stress this point enough. Show enough proof that your disability is bothering you. Many veterans just file a claim and think they will be awarded disability. This is pointless and will only result in a denial of compensation. Without proper evidence, documented by doctors, your claim will likely be denied. There should be a medical history from your military service of the injuries that you are claiming disability for. At the very least, there should be a VA medical record of treatment of said injuries that you are claiming. I tell everyone that when they get out, the first thing that they should do is get established at a local VA hospital or clinic. Then they need to start making appointments to begin medical treatment for their disabilities. This will establish a record of treatment that can be used to win your disability case.

Have a medical doctor recommend you for veteran's disability compensation.
Deliver your information straight from the "horse's mouth." Whose word is more credible? A whiny veteran or a medical doctor? If your doctor can right a few paragraphs about how your disability effects your physical, emotional, vocational, social or academic well being, then you have the best possible chance at winning your disability case.

Filing for disability is a stressful process. Especially when you know that you are deserving of these benefits. The worst part about the disability system is the waiting game that must be played by the veteran. It took nearly two years for me to receive my second disability award and I provided more than enough medical evidence. I also had a great veterans service officer helping me out. So be prepared for a long wait. If the VA sends back a letter asking for more evidence, go back to your doctors, file more appointments, get more recommendations if possible. Your claim must be supported by medical fact not by personal feelings and stories.

My last advice is to hurry up and wait.