Citation Nr: 21012277 Decision Date: 03/04/21 Archive Date: 03/04/21 DOCKET NO. 15-00 120 DATE: March 4, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from April 1968 to March 1971. He died in September 2015, and his wife was properly substituted as the appellant in the present appeal. In October 2018, she testified at a videoconference hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge. A transcript of the proceeding is in the record. The claim was previously remanded by the Board in April 2020; however, there has not been substantial compliance with the remand directives and the claim must be remanded again. Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268 (1998). The Appellant contends that the Veteran was eligible for SMC prior to his death due to the extent of his service-connected disabilities, which hampered many of his activities of daily living (ADLs). In April 2020, the Board remanded this matter to obtain a VA examiner’s opinion on whether the Veteran was in need of aid and attendance or housebound by reason of his service-connected disabilities. In December 2020, an examiner stated without any explanation that while the Veteran required significant aid and attendance, it was due to his nonservice-connected morbid obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Remand is needed to obtain a thoroughly reasoned opinion that would allow the Board to properly evaluate the merits of this claim. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Send copies of all pertinent records to an appropriate specialist who can provide a medical opinion concerning the issue of entitlement to SMC based on aid and attendance or housebound status. The examiner must opine whether, during his lifetime and as a result of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities alone, the Veteran was bedridden (or actually required to remain in bed), unable to dress or undress himself, unable to keep himself ordinarily clean and presentable, needed frequent adjustment of any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliances, was unable to feed himself or attend to the wants of nature, or experienced incapacity which required care or assistance on a regular basis to protect him from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The examiner must state whether, due to his service-connected disabilities alone, the Veteran needed a higher level of care or personal health-care services provided on a daily basis in his home by a licensed health care professional or someone under the supervision of a licensed health care professional. Finally, the examiner must address whether, because of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities alone, he was substantially confined to his dwelling and the immediate premises. A complete, well-reasoned rationale must be provided for all opinions offered. M. E. Larkin Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board Jack S. Komperda, Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.