The Board has determined that the appellant did not require regular aid and attendance prior to June 12, 2009, as evidenced by her ability to care for herself based on VA examinations conducted in April 2004 and June 2009. The effective date of the award is therefore denied.
The deciding factor: The medical findings from the April 2004 examination showed that the appellant was able to live independently, attend to her daily activities without assistance, and go to the grocery store with some limitations. By the time of the June 2009 examination, she required assistance in dressing and needed help with household chores.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar radiculopathy, hypertension, lumbosacral muscular spasm, cardiomegaly
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2013
- Citation
- 1314326
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 1314326.
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
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