Disabled American Veterans
Blind Veterans National Chapter #1
WEB
SITE: http://www.davbvnc.com/
"IF
I CANNOT SPEAK GOOD OF MY COMRADE,
OFFICERS
OF THE BLIND CHAPTER
Commander
Dennis O’Connell
Phone 516 328-3438
Email: bvnc1@verizon.net
Senior
Vice Commander Richard Bugbee
1st Junior Vice Commander Eddie Humphrey
2nd
Junior Vice Commander Joe Wallace
3rd
Vice Commander Junior Farley
4th
Junior Vice Commander William Burgess
Judge Advocate Dave May
Chaplain Rev. Tony Martino
Phone
847 736 2111
email: Deaconmart@wi.rr.com
Phone
904 291-0576
email: pkjax@kaminsky.com
Immediate
Past Commander Eddie Humphrey
If
you know of any member who is sick or deceased please inform one of the officers whose
contact information is listed above.
MESSAGE
FROM THE COMMANDER
As
I sit here in pain with a fractured ankle and heal, I am thinking of 2 weeks ago when I
and another 180 disabled veterans were in Iowa for the 2010 VA National Sponsored TEE
Tournament. Except for the high winds on Tuesday the weather was perfect. Not only did
Paul Kaminsky shot an eagle but Dave May’s team came in first place in the Yellow
Division (recreational).
Last
month Richard Bugbee(SVC) and Eddie Humphrey (IPC) went to the Southwest BRC in Tucson to
present the DAV van which we donated. I’m sure some of the pictures from it will be
posted on our web site. Stay well until the next issue!
2010 NATIONAL TEE TOURNAMENT
Rick Calissi & his son-in-law, Rob, seen in this TEE Tournament video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk_7vF7n3nI&feature=channel
Yellow & red teams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17GaAG0CKfA
Hip/Knee
Replacement:
Even
though knee and hip replacements have become routine, they‘re not fail-safe.
A
study published in 2007 found that 7% of hip replacements done for Medicare patients had
to be replaced within seven and half years. Experts agree that failure rate should be
lower.
If you‘re considering replacing a knee or hip,
here are some ways to increase your chances of success and avoid a second implant:
Choose
an experienced surgeon at a hospital that does a lot of implants.
Ask
for a referral from your doctors and friends. A study published in The Journal of Bone and
Joint Surgery in 2004 found that doctors who perform more than 50 procedures a year had
fewer complications. Patients at hospitals that performed
more
than 200 new replacements a year fared better than patients at hospitals that performed 25
or fewer. Ask the prospective surgeon how many joint replacements like yours he or she
performs a year. Do the same with your hospital.
Not
everyone with joint pain will benefit from a replacement.
An
implant can help reduce pain and improve mobility if the damage is caused by arthritis,
for instance. But a new joint won‘t help pain caused by inflammation of surrounding
soft tissue. According to doctors, some people can manage with careful use of medications.
Gather
information about the procedure.
Once
you‘ve picked a surgeon and have recommendations for the type of joint you will
receive, find out how well it has performed in other patients. Are there known
complications? Depending on the type of implant, some may cause tissue and bone damage in
certain patients. Some patients have complained of ?queaky new
joints.
Have
a recovery plan.
To
avoid complications recuperating from a joint replacement, discuss with your doctor what
sort of support you‘ll need when you go home. Make sure you have enough help since
you‘ll have difficulty getting around. You won‘t be able to drive right away and
you may want a friend or family member to
stay
with you.
Consider
hiring an aide or visiting nurse. If you have pets, make arrangements for their care as
well.
[Source:
The New York Times Lesley Alderman article 2 Jul 2010
COMPENSATION INFORMATION
Not
all Blind Veterans (BV's) are aware of compensation levels. Congress established Special
Monthly Compensation (SMC) for veterans with very severe disabilities. The 100% rate was
not sufficient to adequately compensate these severely disabled veterans. As a result,
Congress passed statutory awards, SMC above the 100% rate. For example: at present, 100%
provides $2673 monthly to a single veteran. BV's with vision of 5/200 or a 5 degree field
are rated at paragraph L - $3327 monthly, a BV's with light perception only receives
paragraph M - $3671 monthly and a totally blind BV receives paragraph N - $4176. Over the
years Congress has improved the SMC with mid level ratings and combination rating; for
example, a BV with deafness or the loss of an extremity may receive the maximum
compensation paragraph O - $4664 monthly. Some veterans rated at paragraph O, who are in
need of consistent aid and attendance, may receive paragraph AR-1 $6669 monthly. In
addition, dependent allowances may be added to the amounts listed above for a spouse and
dependent children. Other Benefits: In addition to improvements in compensation, other
benefits for BV's has secured. Following are two Adaptive Housing Grants. These grants, which were increased in late 2008,
provide $60,000 (Section 2101 A) primarily for wheelchair bound veterans. However, this
large grant is also available to BV's with service-connected blindness and the loss of a
leg. The smaller Grant, $12,000 (Section 2101 B), is available to service- connected BV's.
Initially, the Adaptive Housing grants were one-time grants.
In 2006, the 109 Congress passed legislation permitting eligible veterans who had
not used all of their Section ! 2101 A or B grants to use the remainder again, up to 3
times. A BV who used the 2101 B grant but less than the present $12,000 may be eligible to
use the difference.
Another
grant is the Home Improvement and Structural Alteration (HISA) Grant available through
your local VAMC. The HISA Grant provides $4100 to SC BV's and $1200 to NSC BV's. This
grant may be used for minor alterations to your home in relation to your disability.
Another
nice to know bit of information is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): The survivors of 100% service-connected (SC)
veterans are eligible if the veteran had rated at 100% for ten years, five years if
continuously since discharge. In 1991 Congress passed the DIC Reform Act. Now there are two DIC rates. The basic rate for the spouse is $1154 monthly. The
spouse who was married to a 100% SC veteran for 8 years or more prior to the veteran's
death would receive DIC of $1400 monthly. Each minor child would receive $284 monthly in
DIC.
NSC
Pension: Three NSC Pension levels exist: Basic Pension, House Bound Benefits, and Aid and
Attendance Allowance. Presently, the Basic Pension provides $985 monthly to a single
veteran, House Bound - $1207 monthly, and Aid and Attendance Allowance - $1644 monthly.
These amounts may be increased for each dependent. There is still a significant income
limitation. The above listed amounts are reduced dollar for dollar by any incomes,
whatsoever, the veteran or his/her household receives. However, there is an annual Cost of
Living Adjustment (COLA). Also BV's household
earnings can be reduced by the amount of medical expenses the BV incurs.
For
information about any of the above contact the VA Regional Office in your area or talk
with your VIST Coordinator.
JUST
ONE OUT OF TEN FOR GREAT CARE
The
VA spends an average of $29,052 for each veteran who completes the six-week program.
If
You’re Going To Have To Be Blind, It’s Best To Be A Veteran
TheDay
– Connecticut by Judy Benson, 6/17/2007
West
Haven VA Center offers crucial skills to aging population
Among
the growing population of older Americans with poor eyesight, Frank Quagan, Larry Thompson
and Virginia Beltz might consider themselves the lucky ones.
“I
used to be a commercial artist, so it was very difficult for me to lose my eyesight,”
said Quagan, 82, who lives in Warwick, R.I. Quagan was diagnosed with macular degeneration
six years ago and, like the vast majority of those considered legally blind, has a smidgen
of sight left. One morning last month, Quagan wasn’t looking the part of a person
defeated by a disability. He was sitting at a computer in a room on the sixth floor of the
main hospital building at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System’s busy,
sprawling campus in West Haven, having a one-on-one refresher course in computer skills
with blind-rehabilitation teacher Jim Waldron. They were using equipment with special
software for people with low vision.
Though
inside a hospital, this unit looks more like a vocational boarding school, with
dormitory-style bedrooms, a lounge, group dining room, and uniquely equipped classrooms.
There are none of the IV poles, gurneys and white-coated doctors seen elsewhere in the
hospital hallways.
Named
the Eastern Blind Rehabilitation Center, the West Haven facility is one of 10 in VA
hospitals around the country. The West Haven program serves blind and low-vision veterans
from 15 states. Last year, about 300 went through the six-week course, said Penny
Schuckers, chief of blind rehabilitation services. It costs the VA about $30,000 per
patient. The VA began these programs almost 40 years ago, originally to help veterans
blinded by a combat injury. Over the years, it has evolved into a program that takes in
mostly older veterans with low vision due to macular degeneration, glaucoma or diabetes.
It is a special point of pride in the VA system.
“This
program often helps people to be able to stay at the level of care they’re currently
at, and can keep them from having to go into a nursing home,” said Schuckers.
“We can teach them how to take their medicines accurately (using special
touch-sensitive devices) and how to make sure they’re not eating food that’s
expired …, and not getting cut with a knife.
“Blindness
can be such an isolating condition,” she said. “People tend not to reach out and
get help.”
That,
she said, is why bringing together people with this condition to teach them new ways of
accomplishing everyday tasks in a focused, residential setting is so valuable.
“The
blind rehabilitation program at the VA is unique,” she said. “If you’re
going to have to be blind, it’s best to be a veteran.”
According
to the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, the number of
Americans with vision loss is projected to increase substantially through 2020. Already,
about 3.3 million people over age 40 — one in 28 — have low vision or blindness.
That number is expected to reach 5.5 million over the next 13 years.
The
most common cause is macular degeneration, which occurs when the part of the retina that
enables clear central vision effectively goes dead. The vast majority of cases are
untreatable. Glaucoma, cataract and complications of diabetes are other frequent causes of
vision loss in older people.
A
2004 report from the eye institute said vision loss is “becoming a major public
health problem,” which can lead to loss of independence and quality of life.
“My
goal in coming here was to feel more independent,” said Larry Thompson, an Air Force
veteran from West Grove, Pa., who has glaucoma. During his stay, he has been practicing
his writing and computer skills, learning woodworking on machines he can read by touch,
and calling the nightly Bingo games.
“I’m
in my third week here, and I’m really enjoying it,” he said as he applied
polyurethane to a wooden coat rack in one of the program’s classrooms. Quagan, who
served in the Air Force in World War II, first came to the blind rehabilitation center
four years ago for his six-week stay. Few non-veterans with low vision have access to a
comparable range of extended-stay and outpatient services and equipment as that provided
by the VA for free or at a low cost to veterans. Charges depend on an individual’s
finances and service history.
“There’s
nothing as powerful as this group experience, that shows the guys what they can do,”
said Maureen Carr, blind rehabilitation specialist. “Some of the guys come here and
they’ve been signing their name with an ‘X.’ This is one of the little
dignity-robbers. When they come here, they can reclaim some of that dignity.”
During
his time in the program, Quagan made new friends, learned housekeeping skills in the
program’s kitchen, had a six-hour eye exam with an optometrist who specializes in low
vision, and learned how to use computers with adaptive software, closed-circuit
televisions, special low-vision lights, new eyeglasses and magnifiers. Much of that
equipment, provided by the VA, is now in Quagan’s home.
“Before
I came here, I really didn’t think I would benefit that much,” said Quagan.
“But after I came here, I got so enthusiastic about the things I could do when I got
home. Before I had left I made three pieces of pottery. I was actually doing artwork on a
closed-circuit TV.”
Those
who enroll in the program can also learn Braille and keyboarding skills. Many are also
given white canes and taught to use them by sweeping the ground in front of them to walk
down the street and to cross a busy intersection. Teachers take the students on mobility
lessons around the campus and into downtown West Haven.
“I’ve
learned how to use my stick,” said Howard Allen, an Army veteran from Newark, N.J.
“This is an extension of my eyes. Now, if I go out without it, I feel like
something’s missing.”
Allen
said he didn’t use a walking stick at all before he came to West Haven, and
wouldn’t cross the street without help. Sometimes he would wait five or 10 minutes
for someone to come along. In mobility lessons, he learned how to use the stick on busy
streets and sidewalks and how to listen for cues in traffic when crossing a busy
intersection.
The
program also sends teachers to veteran’s homes for refresher courses, to troubleshoot
equipment problems, or to work with those who can’t come to the six-week program.
“A
lot of blind rehabilitation is ongoing, because computer equipment changes, vision
changes, and people have life changes,” said Kathryn Wiseman, supervisor of blind
rehabilitation services.
The
VA spends an average of $29,052 for each veteran who completes the six-week program. That
includes the cost of the stay, the lessons at the center and follow-up lessons at home,
the fixed operating costs of the facility and of the low-vision and special computer
equipment each veteran brings home, Schuckers said.
Among
the few female veterans at the program recently was Virginia Beltz, an 82-year-old from
Newport, R.I., who served in the Navy. She first came two years ago for a six-week stay,
and was back last month for a refresher computer course. This time around, she was most
excited about learning how to use a book reader program. She was an avid reader before
losing most of her eyesight to macular degeneration.
“You
can put in any book, and it will read it to you,” she said. “The technology is
always evolving.”
One
of the initial steps for all who enter the program is a comprehensive eye exam with Dr.
Kara Gagnon, director of low vision optometry. It can last up to seven hours, Gagnon said,
because she spends a lot of time pinpointing the exact location on the retina that’s
still healthy, and teaching patients how to make the most of what they have left.
“We
can really train them to get right to that sweet spot,” she said. “We teach them
to eliminate the head movement and use just eye movement.”
To
find that “sweet spot,” she combines the patient’s own descriptions with
what she can see when she looks at their eyes through a scanning laser ophthalmoscope, a
sophisticated piece of equipment few private-practice optometrists have. Her exam also
often leads to new eyeglass prescriptions for several kinds of glasses for different uses,
and for other equipment like lighted magnifiers and closed-circuit televisions. These
closed-circuit televisions, also called video magnifiers, allow a blind person to read
magazines, newspapers and documents.
“I’m
very invested in empowering these patients,” she said.
It
works.
“I’m
much more confident,” said Allen, the Newark, N.J. veteran. “I have no hang-ups
now going up stairs or getting on and off elevators. This program has made a tremendous
impact on my life.
Postal
Rates Update
The
USPS has filed to increase the cost of postage effective 2 JAN 2011. The request is for 4%
for most products and services and to increase first class postage from 44 cents to 46
cents (~4.55%). You can do a little something by stocking up on those "Forever"
stamps at current prices.
REMEMBER
TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 2!!!
GOD
BLESS AMERICA!