The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to assess the Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, as the prior evaluations were not clear in indicating whether they alone give rise to such a need.
The deciding factor: The need for regular aid and attendance must be established based on the actual requirement of personal assistance from others, considering factors like inability to dress or feed oneself, requiring special appliances, attending to wants of nature, or needing care due to incapacity in daily environment. The prior evaluations were not clear enough.
- Claimed conditions
- need for regular aid and attendance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21040844
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21040844.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need of regular aid and attendance was denied as he is in receipt of the earliest possible effective date for his claim, which is June 3, 2018.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further action regarding entitlement to SMC based on loss of use of bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as higher rates of SMC given the need for aid and attendance.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance was dismissed because the denial had not occurred at the time he submitted his appeal. The Board found that the issue was premature as a final decision had not been made.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance. The issue of SMC based on housebound status is dismissed as moot.
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