The veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The veteran is able to dress, feed himself, manage his finances, and attend to personal hygiene without assistance. He can walk short distances with a cane and does not require regular aid and attendance due to disability.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, status post cholecystectomy, post gastrectomy syndrome and peptic ulcer disease, generalized anxiety disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, chronic sinusitis, bursitis of bilateral knees, coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction x 3 with hypertension, status post inguinal hernia repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2002
- Citation
- 0207991
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0207991.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
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