Osteoarthritis and DEC

i guess so not sure how it broke down but was 10% for each left and right for total of 20%

bosn181 wrote:i had put in for it many years ago for feet and they gave me 10% for left and 10% for right

so I’m guessing that would be under 9% damaged feet on the musculoskeletal chart plus 1% for loss of quality of life, for them to arrive at 10%..?.

i had put in for it many years ago for feet and they gave me 10% for left and 10% for right

45jim wrote:In an X-Ray the OA will show up and you should submit a claim for each joint, VAC will assess and give you a percentage for each if they approve. You also have to support that with your trade details and evidence of injury while serving. Cumulative Joint Trauma is part of the OA claim in that trade evidence of heavy joint loading over time could result in OA that was not detected during service.

"Entitlement should not be claimed for Cumulative Joint Trauma alone. Entitlement, for VAC purposes, should be claimed for Osteoarthritis, with the affected joint identified (see Entitlement Eligibility Guideline on Osteoarthosis/Osteoarthritis)."

"...working in a job that has high energy demands or requires some measure of physical strength, and engagement in any of the following activities on most days:

repetitive or persistent flexion, extension or twisting of the thoracic/lumbar spine; or
frequent manual lifting or carrying of loads of at least 25kg with occasional manual lifting or carrying of loads of at least 35kg; or
frequent manual pushing or pulling of loads of at least 25kg with occasional manual pushing or pulling of loads of at least 35kg.

"Cumulative joint trauma associated with occupations should take place for at least 2 hours per day, on at least 51% of days worked, for a period of at least 10 years; and

Signs/symptoms of OA should be present in the affected part of the lumbar spine during this timeframe or within 25 years after the activity ceases."

Basically, you claim for Osteoarthritis and then the CJT is used as the justification.  You will be assigned a % for each joint.  

thanks yes, I read all that, that`s where I fall, OA based on CJT via years in a specific trade, it`s only 1 joint but I`m still trying to figure out how they arrice at a %

Yump5555 wrote:March of Dimes advises it can take up to 3 months for the complete assessment by them to be completed and sent back to VAC.  My assessment took exactly 3 months to the day.  In my opinion, the March of Dimes assessment is a farce of which my biggest concern is that a 3rd party agency from VAC had access to all of my VAC private documents.  In the end I was approved DEC but the process was unacceptable in my opinion.  Good luck!!

That is exactly how I feel, I don`t need some college student reading my psych reports to compile a "report" to give to my CM, when my CM already has all that information anyway, or why cant my psychiatrist just send the report directly to the CM to take before a board, unnecessary middle man for sure, with no medical background in interpreting psychological profiles.

March of Dimes advises it can take up to 3 months for the complete assessment by them to be completed and sent back to VAC. My assessment took exactly 3 months to the day. In my opinion, the March of Dimes assessment is a farce of which my biggest concern is that a 3rd party agency from VAC had access to all of my VAC private documents. In the end I was approved DEC but the process was unacceptable in my opinion. Good luck!!

45jim. When I completed my assessment with March of Dimes they sent me to a 3rd party Psychologist of their choice, even though I had my own Pyschiatrist and Psychologist. The physical testing was basic function abilities of your arms, legs including stretching, walking, lifting, pushing, pulling etc...

In an X-Ray the OA will show up and you should submit a claim for each joint, VAC will assess and give you a percentage for each if they approve. You also have to support that with your trade details and evidence of injury while serving. Cumulative Joint Trauma is part of the OA claim in that trade evidence of heavy joint loading over time could result in OA that was not detected during service.

"Entitlement should not be claimed for Cumulative Joint Trauma alone. Entitlement, for VAC purposes, should be claimed for Osteoarthritis, with the affected joint identified (see Entitlement Eligibility Guideline on Osteoarthosis/Osteoarthritis)."

"...working in a job that has high energy demands or requires some measure of physical strength, and engagement in any of the following activities on most days:

repetitive or persistent flexion, extension or twisting of the thoracic/lumbar spine; or
frequent manual lifting or carrying of loads of at least 25kg with occasional manual lifting or carrying of loads of at least 35kg; or
frequent manual pushing or pulling of loads of at least 25kg with occasional manual pushing or pulling of loads of at least 35kg.

"Cumulative joint trauma associated with occupations should take place for at least 2 hours per day, on at least 51% of days worked, for a period of at least 10 years; and

Signs/symptoms of OA should be present in the affected part of the lumbar spine during this timeframe or within 25 years after the activity ceases."

Basically, you claim for Osteoarthritis and then the CJT is used as the justification. You will be assigned a % for each joint.

I’ve been reading the available vac information on osteoarthritis, cumulative joint trauma etc. But if you have it in various parts of your body, there doesn’t appear to be an individual assessment % table for it. Does anyone know how vac comes up with a % as you can have it in your spine for example but claims for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine have their own vac disability forms/ % table 1% up etc. And yet a vet can have a spine disability but not necessarily osteoarthritis, and vice versa.

You need to call your CM, and advise them that you do not think that you will be able to work in your field anymore. They should send you to a 3rd party OT, to have a functionality exam, to determine your physical limitations, over two days of testing. They will report to VAC how many hours you can work, and what types of jobs you are capable of doing. For example, if they say that you can work 40 hours/ week, but only at a sedentary job, VAC could try to get you to take computer courses, or something like administration, in order to find a job working in an office somewhere, like a call centre. But if you are limited to working 20 hours per week, you could still be deemed DEC, because it's not only about your ability to work, but whether or not suitable jobs, would provide gainful employment. It's a pain in the butt, but if you are looking at being deemed DEC for generalized OA, it's a necessary step.

With 100% disability (hearing, tinnitus and multiple osteoarthritis) how do I eventually move towards a DEC decision? Currently on Rehab program (only a couple of months) but worried that they will pull the plug unless I go down the Vocational retraining path. Unlike an amputation, arthritis isn't very visible as it's all pain, stiffness and loss of motion without obvious physical signs. Just started with Physiotherapist but wonder how they will report as I would imagine they will always wish to show slow but constant improvement over time. There is no benefit to them to say they can't help, otherwise they don't get to bill VAC. The vocational retraining sounds good but I am too old to go get a degree, not physically able to work machines or do physical labour anymore and have no real skills as I was a NCO Crewman. I don't want to take some course that qualifies me for a minimum wage job.

My family doctor will be of assistance but he knows nothing about VAC and their process, so he will rely on information I provide as much as anyone else. I am sure he would document that I can't work anymore but its up to VAC if they believe it.

I am unfamiliar with the assessment done by the March of Dimes but have read it is a physical test of lifting weights and other physical tasks. I have no idea what they do in regards to assessing your mental ability to perform a job. it would be nice to understand from someone who has gone down that path before.

I would prefer to work, but I wonder if I will be able to hold down a steady job and even find one that doesn't tax me physically - a 40 hour work week does not seem viable or realistic.