Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE - Friday, May 17, 2019 BEACON | from page 17 1898 or 1922? 11. What rose’s name is patriotic? 1. On May 17, 1826, why did John James Audubon depart for England? 2. In Bermuda the last Friday in May is called Bermuda Day; what does it celebrate? 3. On the TV sitcom “The Honeymooners,” where did Norton work? 4. In Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” what is Jack Dawkins’ nickname? 5. On May 18, 1642, what Canadian city was founded on an island? 6. In what sport are arrobas a unit of measure meaning 25 lbs.? 7. Which U.S. state has never seen subzero temperatures? 8. How many kids were in “The Brady Bunch”? 9. On May 20, 1768, what First Lady was born? (Hint: bipartisan hostess.) 10. According to Guinness World Records, the oldest vegetarian restaurant is Switzerland’s Haus Hitl, which dates from 1861, 12. In May what horse race is in Baltimore, Md.? 13. On May 21, 1881, who founded the American Red Cross? (Hint: initials CB.) 14. What actor appeared in “Raging Bull,” “The Godfather Part II” and “Casino”? 15. What color is San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge? 16. Whose theme song was “Inka Dinka Doo”? 17. On May 22, 1906, who received a patent for “new and useful improvement in Flying Machines”? 18. In James Barrie’s “Peter Pan,” what kind of dog protected the Darling children? 19. On May 22, 1885, what Parisian was born who said, “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come”? (Hint: initials VH.) 20. What singer is known as “The Demon of Screamin’? Answers below, please no cheating! FROM PAGE 18 bridges safe and allow many vital municipal road projects to move forward. No one voted against the bill but there are some legislators and city and town officials who say the $200 million that has been given for the past few years is insufficient. The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) said it appreciates that the bill is moving forward because cities and towns maintain and repair 30,000 miles of local roads—that’s 90 percent of the roadways in the Bay State. However, for several years, the MMA has been seeking to increase the amount to $300 million. “The MMA’s long-term goal is to work with the governor and Legislature on a shared strategy to increase Chapter 90 funding and provide a multi-year framework, so that cities and towns can improve the quality of our roadways and save taxpayer dollars,” said MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. Transportation House chairman Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett) said the current $200 million is sufficient when combined with other state programs to help cities’ and towns’ infrastructure including a $50 million small bridge repair. “We have increased not just state spending, but the money we provide to municipalities in other ways,” said Straus. “I don’t agree that we’ve fl atlined the expenditure. I just think we’re striving to fi nd additional ways, either through the bridge program which I would like to see expanded or as direct budget aid to municipalities for their road and bridge needs.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Yes Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes Follow us on Twitter advocatenewspaperma HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the BEACON | SEE PAGE 19 by Jim Miller The Long-Term Care Benefi t Many Veterans Are Missing Out On Dear Savvy Senior, I have heard that the VA has a benefi t that can help veterans and spouses with long-term care costs. We recently had to move my 86-year-old father – who served in the army nearly 60 years ago – into an assisted living facility, and my mom isn’t far behind. Can the VA help? Seeking Aid Dear Seeking, The Veterans Administration does indeed have a little-known, underutilized benefi t that can help wartime veterans and their surviving spouses pay for a variety of long-term care costs. This benefi t, called “Aid and Attendance,” is a special pension that’s paid in addition to a basic pension. It pays a maximum of $2,230 a month to married veterans; $1,881 a month to single veterans; or $1,209 a month to a surviving spouse. The money is tax free, and can be used to pay for in-home care, assisted living and nursing home care. Today, only around 230,000 veterans and survivors receiving Aid and Attendance, but millions more are eligible and either don’t know about it, or don’t think they can qualify for it. Eligibility Requirements To qualify, your dad must have served at least 90 days of active military service with at least one day of service during a period of war, and not have been discharged dishonorably. Single surviving spouses of wartime vets are eligible if their marriage ended due to death. In addition, your dad will also have to meet certain thresholds for medical and fi nancial need to be eligible. To qualify medically he must be either disabled, or over the age of 65 and need help with basic everyday living tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing or going to the bathroom. Being blind or in a nursing home or assisted living facility due to mental disability also qualifi es him. Single surviving spouses have no age restrictions, but they must require help with basic everyday living tasks to be eligible. To qualify fi nancially, your parents must have limited assets, under $127,061, excluding their home, vehicle and personal belongings. And their annual income (minus medical and long-term care expenses) cannot exceed the Maximum Allowable Pension Rate (MAPR), which in 2019 is $26,766 for a veteran and their spouse; $22,577 for a single veteran; and $14,509 for a surviving spouse. To calculate your parent’s income qualifi cations, add up their income over the past year (including Social Security, pensions, interest income from investments, annuities, etc.), minus any out-of-pocket medical expenses, prescription drugs, insurance premiums and long-term care costs over that same period of time. If the fi nal tally is under the MAPR, and he meets the other requirements, he should be eligible for aid. How to Apply To learn more, or to apply for Aid and Attendance, contact your regional VA benefi t offi ce (see Benefi ts.va.gov/benefi ts/offi ces.asp or call 800–827–1000) where you can apply in person. You can also apply by writing the Pension Management Center for your state (see Benefi ts.va.gov/pension/resources-contact. asp). You’ll need to include evidence, like VA Form 21-2680 (VA. gov/vaforms) which your dad’s doctor can fi ll out that shows his need for Aid and Attendance. If you need some help, you can appoint a Veteran Service Offi cer (VSO), a VA-accredited attorney or claims agent to represent your dad. See www.ebenefi ts.va.gov/ebenefi ts/vso-search to locate someone. If your dad is eligible, it will take between six and 12 months for his application to be processed, so be patient. You should also know that if your dad’s Aid and Attendance application is approved, the VA will send a lump sum retroactive payment covering the time from the day you fi led the application until the day it was approved. Then your dad receives monthly payments going forward. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 1. Because he couldn’t find an American publisher for his bird drawings collection 2. Offi cially, the fi rst day of summer; unoffi cially, its Ok to go boating, wear Bermuda shorts, etc. 3. The NYC sewers 4. The Artful Dodger 5. Montréal 6. In Spanish bullfi ghting, to weigh the bulls 7. Hawaii 8. Six 9. Dolley Madison 10. 1898 11. The American Beauty 12. The Preakness 13. Clara Barton 14. Robert De Niro 15. International Orange (so it can be seen in the fog) 16. Jimmy Durante’s 17. Orville and Wilbur Wright 18. Nana, a St. Bernard 19. Victor H ugo 20. Steve Tyler
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