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REPLY:

Blah Blah Blah ----- No the VA is NOT
the VA no matter what level. You are
talking to a former employee of the agency.

Federal is them and state is them
and while there are partial funding
streams which pass into the state
level nursing home systems, it's
up to the states to match some of
that money. If they are forced to pull
that state matching then HELLO! the
place has to close.

You are tying up this whole forum
page on a STATE issue which we
normally do not work on here.

Now you can go off the deep end
with your pledge of allegiance
fixation and you will have to stand
in line out here on that one, but
in the final end of this issue,
you absolutely DO have to take your
fight to the state of Georgia and
noplace else.

You are explaining the nursing home
crisis to all of us and guess what?
Been there, done that. We all know
about the nursing home crisis it
exists in every state just as I
have already said. I am guessing
here that you feel if you keep
describing this to us that somehow
something will change. It's the
same all over and this crisis
is well into 5 years old.

This is the best I can offer you
and you absolutely do have to
attend the local public hearings
on this issue.

VA has no control and it isn't
likely that a federal congressional
will get involved in it.

First of all I will not lose my bearings as a soldier of the oath I was sworn to take when I joined the military (even though I am no longer active that oath is still a part of me) so I will say thank you for the information and telling me where to go to get more information.

Secondly, I am not a dude.
I am a female veteran who cares for ALL veterans everywhere in the UNITED states.

I feel that this issue is most urgent since the deadline to close the place is 11/30/2008 and I've not seen anything else on the matter with the exception of this State Senator as you call him speaking out against this & he is only condemning the act.

The states proposed solutions?

From the news article "the agency is helping the veterans find new homes maybe with relatives or friends"
I find this solution to be lacking & IMO it is not adequate enough.

What happens is they have no living relatives, or they have no friends that can help house them?
Will they be one of the many veterans in GA who are forced to live under the bridges?
The likelihood of friends being able to house them is very slim as most are being pressed in GA economically.

Having been a resident of GA there are too many homeless people there and approximately 85% of them are veterans!

again from the article: "Assistant Commissioner Len Glass said about half the displaced veterans will go either to the state veterans hospital units that provide full nursing care or to the federal Veteran’s Administration’s domiciliary in Dublin. He said the agency was helping the rest of the veterans find new homes — maybe with relatives or friends.


The article further states "To qualify for the free room and board at the facility, residents must be war veterans who have a medical problem but do not require nursing care. The average age is 64 ½; the youngest resident is 53 and the oldest is 89.

I bring attention again to the statement " To qualify for free room and board at the facility, residents must be war veterans who have a medical problem but do not require nursing care."


Also take notice of the last sentence, the youngest resident is 53 yrs of age, the oldest is 89 yrs of age.

At the age of 89 it is hardly likely that they would not require some sort of nursing care.

Even at the age of 53 and getting older, the medical challenges exist or are sure to come in the future.

So if the veteran at the age of 53 -89 housed in that location, does need nursing care, their alternative would be with relatives or friends.

If they are 89 yrs old, what relatives could possibly be living?
So that would mean their other alternative would be friends.

If the state is so pressed for funds that various businesses are being closed, what is the economical state of a single household?
How can anyone even think that 1 single household is in the position to take on the burden to care for an aging veteran?

With regards to your statement "Labor unions, malpractice insurance, and utility prices are driving places out of business" I fail to see the correlation that has to this issue.
And I find it extremely appalling that I am having this discussion with you about an urgent veterans matter on a veterans board.
I thought this site was in support of the veterans.

While I admit I do need to follow up on this issue, the issue is still an issue of relevance.

As far as states all over the country closing their homes, that does not lessen the urgency of this situation nor does it rationalize it or make it ok to do.

As far as me being a citizen of GA, I am not, but if I were that would make it all the more pressing.

With regards to posting this message all over the place, I posted in places where people need to know, as it touches on alot of issues here.

With regards to whether this is a state or federal issue: Federal or state, the important thing is veterans are being forced out.
A veteran of one state is a veteran of the UNITED states, irregardless to what state he or she resides in.

VA is VA regardless of the state level or federal level.
While the chain of command is state, then federal.
Everyone knows if you don't get the desired results at the most immediate level (state) you go federal. Hello.

With regards to your statement: "Stopping
such announcements to date have not been
successful here in New York so you will
have to evaluate just how much time you
want to spend on that one issue."


Why would anyone want to stop such notices from coming forth in the first place & cause people to be uninformed?

With regards to the second half of your statement: "so you will have to evaluate just how much time you want to spend on that one issue."

That should be a non issue, as a veteran I am fully aware of the "benefits" that were promised to veterans when they volunteered or were drafted to serve as a soldier to the united states of america to fight for freedom.
The government should be held accountable to those promises for "benefits" it made.
It should have never made those promises if it had no intention to keep them.
The federal government made the promises, the states fall under the federal government.
Whether at the state level or the federal level, they should be held accountable.

REPLY:


Dude you are pretty much bouncing off the walls
here so let's slow this down and take a look
at it.

First we only need this post in 1 place and
not the same thing in 25 different places.

Second, you are referring to a State of
Georgia issue and NOT a federal VA issue.

Third, nursing homes are closing all over
the place in every state and in most cases,
90 days notice is the rule and not the exception. In what we have experienced here
in New York, and yes I did attend the public
hearings for our own closing at Albany
County, they either have merged or developed
other locations for the residents to go
to, OR they are switching over to a
Home Health Aide system.

Your outrage is real, not to trivialize that.
But you have to face this is happening
in every single state and county across
the country and not just yours. The
Senator you are referring to is a STATE
senator and not a federal one.

So your battle on this has to be taken
to the public hearings for that locality
where the nursing home exists.

Find out what the alternative plan is
for existing residents because for sure,
they do have one. Call the place and
talk to the officials there to find
out where the options are.

Labor unions, malpractice insurance, and utility prices are driving places out of business and that is the reality of our
times so Veterans everywhere do need to
get the word that nursing homes at state
level are closing by the droves. Stopping
such announcements to date have not been
successful here in New York so you will
have to evaluate just how much time you
want to spend on that one issue.