The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based upon the need of regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound was denied as he did not meet the criteria.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran is blind, confined to a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, or in need of regular aid and attendance. He can travel short distances without assistance.
- Claimed conditions
- Lichen simplex chronicus, Glaucoma (left eye), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Congestive heart failure, Benign prostatic hypertrophy, Proteinuria, Multi-joint osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2009
- Citation
- 0908770
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,035 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0908770.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's lichen simplex chronicus rating from 10% to 60%, effective July 1, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by acute hypoxic respiratory failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with hypertension as a significant contributing factor. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain the Veteran's complete military records and treatment records.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (r)(1) rate due to his service-connected major depressive disorder and congestive heart failure, which require regular aid and attendance.
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