DO NOT PUT MONEY FROM THE V.A. AND 

SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE SAME BANK ACCOUNT!

This is called "co-mingling." The Veteran's Administration will want to know what you are doing with the money. So will Social Security. You have to have clear records of where the money was spent. We were not allowed to put any of my mother's money in these accounts. Every year I get a notice that I have to fill out exactly where this money is going.

WHY, you may ask?

Because they want to make sure I am not spending my mother's money on myself or a vacation to the Bahamas. They will ask if it is my decision or hers where the money is going. I once made the mistake of saying that I decided where the money was going. (After all, I pay ALL THE BILLS.)
Mom was declared incompetent to handle her own affairs. That was a can of worms. So I wrote back and said I made a mistake-Mom makes the decision where her money goes.

Just to let you know how ridiculous this is, mom's income from SS is about $1200 a month. Multiply that times 12 months=$14,400. Her rent is over $4000 a month. That is $48,000 a year for her assisted living.  They want to know exactly where it is going. That doesn't count medication or her supplemental insurance. All I put down on the form was her rent. I guess that answered their question.

My biggest challenge is finding the money over and above what her assisted living costs. Mom was not a wealthy person. We have just about spent all of the money from the home she and dad had, plus most of her savings. Mom is going to be 90 this year!  We never expected she could spend all of her money. Hopefully we can keep ahead of all the bills.

My advice? SAVE money for this. Don't mix the money with any government assistance.