SS Disability

SATX

Can anyone enlighten me on applying for Disability benefits for my DW.  She is 60, unable to work but has many years of employment in her past.  The nueropshyc doc delivered a 13 page report with test results indicating dementia consistent with early onset ALZ but FTD is not ruled out.  Appt with the Neurologist is the 24th and expect a diagnosis.  

Caring for her precludes me from working and we will need financial support going forward.  SS Disability seems the logical option.

DrinaJGB

My DH was only 52 when he was on life support and comatose due to a brain infection in 2010. I applied before he was discharged (he was in facilities for 4 months).I filled out the lengthy forms in the middle of the night to the best of my ability. I was called by the administration and was asked some questions. My husband was self employed and now had a brain injury.I had to close his design studio. I could not work and had to become his caregiver--was already caregiver to my father. They approved his SSDI the first time which I have learned is nearly unheard of. If the neurologist is on board she will hopefully be approved. They seem to deal with this frequently. Benefits for my DH started a few months later in 2011, and he has never been reviewed. I suspect that may be because he has assessments by a Neuropsychologist every few years with diagnosis always being mild dementia.The last one was actually mild organic dementia/possible mixed etiology. He is due for another assessment in November ordered by his neurologist. Good luck!

ChrisBme

I suggest getting an attorney that specializes in SSDI. They will be able to get it for you in the shortest amount of time for a minimal charge. Usually the first SSDI payment but it's worth it as the Social Security Admin usually won't fight this type of attorney.

LadyTexan

I filled out the SSDI for DH. If I recall correctly, he was 55 at the time. There was a lot of paperwork required. DH's app was approved. After the SSDI was approved DH was eligible for Medicare 24 months later due to his disability.

Marta

When a dementia diagnosis is involved, SS disability fast tracks the application. 

Just make sure you have the documentation for the diagnosis - don’t assume that the neurologist has sent the proper documentation - take charge of it yourself. 

No lawyer needed under these circumstances. 

Crushed

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0423022385

Effective Dates: 09/16/2020 - Present Previous | Next

TN 38 (09-20)

DI 23022.385 Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES INFORMATION

EARLY-ONSET ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

ALTERNATE NAMES

Presenile dementia; Presenile Alzheimer’s disease; Young-onset Alzheimer’s disease; Familial AD; FAD; AD; EOAD

DESCRIPTION

Early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the diagnosis of AD for a person younger than age 65, and accounts for approximately 5 to 10 percent of all cases of AD. AD is a degenerative, irreversible brain disease that usually affects older people and causes a dementia characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive abilities, such as memory, language, judgment, and the ability to function.

Physiological changes in the brain include the rampant growth of two abnormal structures, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which interrupt normal brain activity.

The onset of AD is subtle; memory impairment is frequently its earliest manifestation, quickly followed by learning and language impairments. Because people with early-onset AD are often in the work force, it is not uncommon for the disease to first manifest as a decline or loss in their ability to perform work-related activities. In the earlier stages of AD, depression is a common complaint. In later stages, agitation, changes in personality and behavior, restlessness, and withdrawal become evident.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, PHYSICAL FINDINGS, AND ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM CODING

Diagnostic testing: There is no specific clinical or laboratory diagnostic test for AD. Diagnosis can only be confirmed by brain biopsy or postmortem examination of the brain. The diagnosis of early-onset AD is based on the combination of clinical and family history; neurological, cognitive, or neuropsychological examination; and neuroimaging.

Pertinent clinical information includes history of onset and description of cognitive and functional impairments at home and at work. A decline in Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores over time is a likely indicator of possible dementia. Neuroimaging, such as computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful for observing changes in the brain and excluding other causes of dementia.

ICD-9: 290.0, 290.1, 290.10, 290.11, 290.12, 290.13, 294.1 and 331.0

ICD-10: G30.0, G30.8, G30.9

PROGRESSION

People diagnosed with early-onset AD experience gradual cognitive decline until death. Death usually results from pneumonia, malnutrition, or general body wasting. The average time of survival after diagnosis of early-onset AD varies but generally is 8 to 10 years, and many people with early-onset AD require institutionalization.

TREATMENT

There is no treatment to cure or slow the progression of early-onset AD. Treatment for the symptoms of early-onset AD may include drugs such as cholinesterase inhibitors (galantamine, rivastigmine, or donepezil) and an N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist (memantine).

SUGGESTED PROGRAMMATIC ASSESSMENT*

Suggested MER for Evaluation:

• •

  Clinical information documenting a progressive dementia is critical and required for disability evaluation of early-onset AD. The preferable source of this information is the clinical records from the claimant’s medical source(s).

• •

  Activities of daily living report or a similar report completed by relative or caregiver.

• •

  Documentation of dementia by standardized testing such as the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale with a score of = 1, MMSE with a score of = 24, or equivalent test is helpful but not required.

   

Crushed

Lawyers are very good at getting the onset backdated to first symptoms . fees are fixed low and recovered only from back payments

 Im a lawyer and i hired a good SS lawyer

eaglemom

To piggy-back on what Crushed said - I looked at the disability papers and knew that I 'could' do them. However I wanted a professional handling them, so I hired them being completed. Best money ever spent, IMO.

eagle

aod326

We used a SS-specialized lawyer too, although, as he was allied to my husband's law firm, we were lucky enough to pay costs only. We didn't at that point have any dementia diagnosis and I really think it would have been a lot of work on my part. The lawyer explained to us that the applications frequently get rejected first time around and, sure enough, it was. But when he was finally approved, age 57, it was backdated to when he had to leave work because of his medical issues.

Good luck.

shardy

How times have changed. I applied for Jim back in 2013 with a lot of help from folks here.

  Back then no one recommended an attorney unless you had problems after applying. I filled out forms and personally gathered medical records.  He was approved in 10 days.

JoseyWales

I've heard that almost no one gets approved on the first application, unless you have a physician willing to diagnose early-onset dementia. No doctor would say in writing that YES DH had dementia. Probable was all they would say. 

I used a lawyer, even though I'm really good at paperwork. I brought everything I had to that lawyer. She worked for the disability department in our state before opening her office, and said he'd be denied. She added all kinds of other information I never thought of. Her only fee would be 1/2 of back payments. I can't tell you how nice it was to have someone else fill out that application and save me the stress of wondering if I did it right.

DH was approved with the first application. It was before he would have even qualified for his first payment, so we owed the lawyer nothing. Best decision I ever made!

60 falcon

Getting my wife approved for SSDI was a frustrating challenge.  I did the initial application myself. 

For two years, she had the typical diagnosis of MCI, depression. I finally got a diagnosis of probable EOAD from the Mayo clinic after she received a PET scan.  I gathered and provided copies of all the documentation and was very thorough with the application.  I referenced the SS's own compassionate allowance guidelines.  I thought she would be approved easily.  DW went through the in-person interview/testing with the SS and that was really hard for her.  Anyway, she was denied.  I couldn't believe it.

Long story short, I hired a disability attorney for the appeal. I don't know what he did other than to resubmit all the same documentation.  DW had to go through the same stupid in-person review and testing which was even harder for her to do.  In the end DW was finally approved.  The attorney was able to get her backpay for two full years from the date of my initial application.

I should have hired and attorney the first time.

janeymack

The key is having the Early Onset ALZ diagnosis by a doc, all supporting documents, and request a compassionate review/allowance. My husband was 59 years old. We waited for the EOAD diagnosis, collected all necessary documents, and applied online, making sure to ask for a "Compassionate Allowance" in the opening statement, and reiterating the request for "Compassionate Allowance" at the conclusion. I applied online on a Thursday and received approval the following Tuesday. No lawyer involved. Just do your Google research for recommended language and make sure you have all employment forms and doc forms filled out.

Crushed

As I have said before Lawyers are experts at getting the alzheimer's condition BACKDATED  BY assembling evidence that the doctor  is simply confirming an condition that has existed for months before a doctor made the call .  DW's backdating was worth $27,000  of which $6000 was attorneys fees, 

The SSDI allows retroactive payments for a maximum of 12 months prior to the date of application, subtracting the waiting period. That means that a minimum of 17 months that will have passed since the date of onset (EOD) and the date the application is approved.