KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Vietnam veteran who is paralyzed is questioning the results of a recent VA Home Health Care Assessment of his condition.
The report that Ron Higgs received from the VA is called a veteran’s functional assessment; it’s part of an application that his new primary caregiver applied for. The bottom line of the examination determined that Higgs, who is paralyzed, does not need as much hands-on assistance with his daily activities as he once did, and his caregiver’s stipend has been reduced.
Higgs’ step-daughter, Karrie Lipscomb, is his caregiver at his home in Kingston. Higgs uses a wheelchair as a result of a stroke seven years ago. He can’t walk or lift himself out of his chair. He can’t use his right arm or lift it. His late wife, Pam, had been his caregiver since his stroke in 2019. She passed away seven months ago, and her daughter cares for Higgs now…