The Veteran's Parkinson's disease and related conditions have necessitated a higher level of care, including hospitalization and skilled home health care. The Board has granted SMC at the (r)(2) rate based on this need.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's severe service-connected conditions required frequent hospitalizations and a high level of personal health-care services provided by licensed professionals or under their supervision.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson's disease, right upper extremity tremor and rigidity, right lower extremity disability, left upper extremity disability, left lower extremity disability, urinary incontinence, balance impairment and stooped posture, left-side and right-side speech changes, depressive disorder, left-side and right-side masked facies of the seventh cranial nerve, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dye eye syndrome, tonsillectomy, chronic granular pharyngitis, partial loss of sense of smell, difficulty chewing, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- March 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26019722
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 A26019722.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
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