Grand Rapids Home for Veterans: Good by Stinky, Greyhound therepy is about to be applied.

Once again the Grand Rapids Home for veterans is NOT going to help a veteran who needs help.

I've posted here about Stinky, one of the guys in the Dorm unit, who will not take a shower, and who wears his clothing until they disintegrate off of his body.  He is also a hoarder.

On the eve of the home FINALLY getting a full time Physiologist to help veterans with mental health issues, the home is still practicing its "greyhound" therapy procedures. In other words, rather than help them, they kick 'em out.

Stinky was given 10 days out when he failed to take a shower when told to do so. Next he will either be sent to Pine Rest or Battle Creek.

Grand Rapids Home for Veterans: Veterans Beware, watch out for this accused thief.

It is reported by a member, that the man pictured here, is named Todd.

This man was seen in the last week, going thru the pockets of one of the members who is disabled, by a former member who is also a veteran.

Another former veteran has said that he has seen the guy go thru the double doors by Kozy Corners and within a few min's, come out with a big back of empty pop bottles that the Former Member thinks he stole from the employees lounge.

This man targets the guys who are vulnerable, and who cannot defend themselves. 

Security is aware of this guy, and needs you to report him if you see him on the property.

Grand Rapids Home for veterans: Preventing Wives from seeing their Husbands.

I told you before on this blog, the Veterans Home is using the guardian laws to stop wives from seeing their husbands. I have 2 reports for you today.

2 days ago I was at the home for the weekly Guitars for Veterans (registered charity) class, and I talked to one of the older guys sitting at the Pavlovian.  Ive known him for over 3 years now. He is a quiet man, that bothers no one, and just sits out there reading his books and magazines.

He told me he just found out his wife had been going to court every other month, and that he now had to appear in court. Because he was refusing to take drugs that he did not need. His daughter is a OR RN and she tells him what the drugs do.

He is currently his own guardian. And that because he has had difference of opinions with staff members, and chooses his own healthcare, that the home is claiming he is not cooperating. Therefor want to drug him up so that he can no longer think for himself. He told them that he didn't want to end up being a zombie, like Richard and some of the others were..

So now the home is trying to get a court to declare him incompetent so that they can become his guardian.

In other words, they are saying - if you don't do what we say, we will use the courts and enslave you.
Because that's what happens when the courts assign a guardian to you, and take away your freedom and your rights.

And this happens More and more often at the so called HOME for veterans.

The second story, is one of similar circumstances.  A Veteran and his wife of 59 years, is about to celebrate 60 years of marriage and the home has forbidden her from taking him out to dinner. Or for her to come to the home and have a little dinner party for him. All under the guardian laws.

This lady has written a letter pleading for help, and when I get permission to publish it, I will.

 The home is gearing up for another round of asking the courts to declare veterans to be incompetent, and then they get a guarding assigned, and after that, they systematically take the veterans assets while they destroy his family.

This MUST END.

A congressman from Michigan came thru the home last year and said he was amazed no one had gone postal yet..  it is just a matter of time.. and when it happens, the staff is going to run in fear, for they have earned it.

Abuse of Veterans continues at the veterans home.

Despite the reassurances of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans top administrator Sara Dunne, and the Michigan VA chief of staff James Dunn,  abuse of veterans by J2S workers continues.

The most common form of this abuse is Veterans who have soiled themselves, being left to sit in that condition for hours on end, even after the staff is made aware that a veteran needs help.

Today, it was reported to me that a visitor was on a veteran's unit and found a man who had soiled himself.  Near by was one of the care givers from J2S. When told about the situation the care giver just stayed sitting in a chair until the visitor demanded she get off her arse and help the man or face termination. Another veteran was in the main dining hall for the facility with soiled pants, while eating lunch. Nothing was done by the staff to help him.

Other abuse continues by care givers going into the Veterans rooms in the middle of the night, and turning on all the lights, waking up the veterans to see if they were asleep or not. One woke up a man to see if he had wet himself without first checking his chart - as he had a catheter and thus was unable to do so. So basically she woke him up for no reason. This happens a lot, I am told because care givers or nursing does not check charts before they attempt to wake up veterans.

Also reported, is the med's nurse's refusal to use rubber gloves when handling medication. Only upon threat of a report to the FDA by a visitor, did the Nurse put on gloves.

Also, over medicating of veterans now seems to be the normal operating standard at the home, according to family members.

Veterans are also telling me, that money won at 2 West Michigan White Caps (local A club baseball team), sponsored Bingo's has yet to be deposited into the veterans bank accounts. This is more money that is disappearing because of lack of proper safeguards in the way the home does its book keeping.

One good note to report: Veterans are telling me that the menu is changing at the home.. And the food there is finally improving. Not as fast as it needs to, but several have said they have enjoyed some of the new meals being tried out.  I am glad the home is finally addressing that issue.

Great Lakes Fishing Trip for the Veterans at the home.

The Elks Club, chartered 2 sets of Boats this past month, to take members of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, out on the Great Lakes for a day of fishing. The veterans got to take turns hauling in a nice catch of fish. Afterwards they had a picnic.  They took home the fish and expect to have a fish fry with it.

The veterans would like to extend a big THANK YOU to the ELKS Club, for the outing.

Thank you Spartan Stores

The veterans at the home, want to extend their Thanks to Spartan Stores, who this past Thursday, came to the home and put on a very nice Bingo for the veterans. They also brought snacks and drinks.

It is donations like this from organizations like Spartan Stores, that make living at the veterans home, bearable to those who are there.

THIEF ALERT: Veterans home is being raided by a habitual offender.

This last Wednesday, when the Elks club came to do their cook out, an alleged thief visited the home.
He was seen rifling thru the pockets of one of the members.  Security was called, but he was unable to ID the guy as he had left the area by the time they got there.

This guy has been seen on the property before. He usually comes with a 2nd person, in a silver Ford. he likes to hit the guys who are both physically and mentally incapacitated like Marko or Alvin.

Twice in the last year he was seen entering the double doors by Kozy corners and shortly there after leaving with a bag of cans/bottles that we believe he stole from the employees lounge/locker room located by the Barber shop.

We are now on the look out for this guy. He is about 5 foot 8, rough face, sometimes with a stubby beard. Age about 55 or so. If you watch him he is constantly looking around as if he is trying to find something or someone.

We are on the look out for him and will try to get a photo of him. If the home was video taping the security cameras yesterday they should have him on tape, as he walked right down the center of the drive way from the Bike shop all the way down to the Pavilion before he left.

If you see anyone like that, please notify security immediately.

I for one will not tolerate a thief. I will not put up with anyone who steals from veterans, nor anyone who works for the home, who steals a members' car via the towing authority. 


 

Thank you Elks Club.

The Veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans wish to express their thanks to the members of the Elks club, who today, put on a steak cook out and bingo for the veterans who live at the home.

The steak was probably the first decent food they had been served in over a month.

With all the extra funding going to the home, the quality of the meals served to the veterans has not yet improved, so special outings like this, give them hope that someday the kitchens will again start producing quality meals.

Friday's Stand Down at the Veterans Out Reach Center

This past Friday saw a "stand down" at the Veterans outreach center located on Century street just north of Hall street, next to the west side of the 131 express way.

Many different agencies were there, including legal help, but Physical therapy group did not show.
Medical check ups, free hair cuts, new dog tags, and many other things were offered.
 
Lots of people showed up, but I was disappointed once again, with the clothing situation. Same stuff that they had at the so called clothing room, at the veterans home. Nothing in Plus sizes, (4x and above).  They were giving out duffel bags with backpacks in them, but ran out of them around 12:30 or so. 

The average wait time from the time you turned in your paper work till the time you got your name called, (to go in and see the people and get your meal ticket) was over 2 hours.

The meal served was Brauts or hamburgers, Chips, fruit cup,  and beans. Pepsi products or water was also offered, no Coke products.

Also, music was provided as well. And a drawing for prizes was help.

It seems they had a bigger turn out than they expected, and if they have another one, I suggest they plan on the number doubling again. - but they need to find a better way of getting the guys in and out without them waiting in line for 2 hours. In the 2 hours I stood there, no one came by to offer any one any water or anything and many guys finally stepped out of line to go outside and get some water and have a smoke, only to have their name called as soon as they got outside!

1 out of 10, I give them an 8 for effort, with room for improvement.

US Department of Veteran affairs completets annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

LANSING – August 6, 2013 – Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has completed its annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and released its final report to the agency.

The final report concluded that the Home has met 156 of 158 standards and partially met the remaining two. The VA survey revealed shortcomings in the Home’s ability to meet the needs of residents requiring psychiatric care, an issue the Home is actively working to address.

“Based on the State of Michigan audit released earlier this spring, the Legislature has appropriated $500,000 to fund psychiatric care at the Home,” said Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Administrator Sara Dunne. “This appropriation allowed us to set in motion the process to secure the required psychiatric care. We have established an RFP for care, and procurement is currently underway. We expect to fully implement the required psychiatric care this fall.”

Once the required psychiatric services have been acquired, the Home can attain full certification with VA standards for nursing home care. The Home has already been certified for full compliance with USDVA standards for domiciliary care.

Since the survey was conducted, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency has been appropriated additional funding for mental health services as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2014 budget, and the Home is pursuing a contract to provide comprehensive on-site mental health services to its members.

The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans occupies 90 acres of land adjacent to the Grand River in northwest Grand Rapids and is home to approximately 400 nursing care members and 60 domiciliary care members. It was established in 1886 as a home for veterans of the Civil War and continues to serve our nation’s military veterans and their spouses today.

Ed Note: NO IT DOES NOT Serve the veterans - Not anymore. It has become a prison for most of them.  It is anything but a "home" unless your idea of a home is a place to get over medicated, fed food that is unfit for a dog and leads to malnutrition, and where you eventually die because of neglect.

LANSING – August 6, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has completed its annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and released its final report to the agency.
The final report concluded that the Home has met 156 of 158 standards and partially met the remaining two. The VA survey revealed shortcomings in the Home’s ability to meet the needs of residents requiring psychiatric care, an issue the Home is actively working to address.
“Based on the State of Michigan audit released earlier this spring, the Legislature has appropriated $500,000 to fund psychiatric care at the Home,” said Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Administrator Sara Dunne. “This appropriation allowed us to set in motion the process to secure the required psychiatric care. We have established an RFP for care, and procurement is currently underway. We expect to fully implement the required psychiatric care this fall.”
Once the required psychiatric services have been acquired, the Home can attain full certification with VA standards for nursing home care. The Home has already been certified for full compliance with USDVA standards for domiciliary care.
Since the survey was conducted, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency has been appropriated additional funding for mental health services as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2014 budget, and the Home is pursuing a contract to provide comprehensive on-site mental health services to its members.
The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans occupies 90 acres of land adjacent to the Grand River in northwest Grand Rapids and is home to approximately 400 nursing care members and 60 domiciliary care members. It was established in 1886 as a home for veterans of the Civil War and continues to serve our nation’s military veterans and their spouses today.
- See more at: http://michigan.realestaterama.com/2013/08/06/u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs-completes-annual-survey-of-the-grand-rapids-home-for-veterans-ID0588.html#comments

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs completes annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans

August 6, 2013

by Michigan RealEstateRama

Category: News || Housing & Development | No Comments

LANSING – August 6, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has completed its annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and released its final report to the agency.
The final report concluded that the Home has met 156 of 158 standards and partially met the remaining two. The VA survey revealed shortcomings in the Home’s ability to meet the needs of residents requiring psychiatric care, an issue the Home is actively working to address.
“Based on the State of Michigan audit released earlier this spring, the Legislature has appropriated $500,000 to fund psychiatric care at the Home,” said Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Administrator Sara Dunne. “This appropriation allowed us to set in motion the process to secure the required psychiatric care. We have established an RFP for care, and procurement is currently underway. We expect to fully implement the required psychiatric care this fall.”
Once the required psychiatric services have been acquired, the Home can attain full certification with VA standards for nursing home care. The Home has already been certified for full compliance with USDVA standards for domiciliary care.
Since the survey was conducted, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency has been appropriated additional funding for mental health services as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2014 budget, and the Home is pursuing a contract to provide comprehensive on-site mental health services to its members.
The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans occupies 90 acres of land adjacent to the Grand River in northwest Grand Rapids and is home to approximately 400 nursing care members and 60 domiciliary care members. It was established in 1886 as a home for veterans of the Civil War and continues to serve our nation’s military veterans and their spouses today.
Contact:
Veronica LaDuke 517-284-5298

- See more at: http://michigan.realestaterama.com/2013/08/06/u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs-completes-annual-survey-of-the-grand-rapids-home-for-veterans-ID0588.html#comments

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs completes annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans

August 6, 2013

by Michigan RealEstateRama

Category: News || Housing & Development | No Comments

LANSING – August 6, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has completed its annual survey of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and released its final report to the agency.
The final report concluded that the Home has met 156 of 158 standards and partially met the remaining two. The VA survey revealed shortcomings in the Home’s ability to meet the needs of residents requiring psychiatric care, an issue the Home is actively working to address.
“Based on the State of Michigan audit released earlier this spring, the Legislature has appropriated $500,000 to fund psychiatric care at the Home,” said Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Administrator Sara Dunne. “This appropriation allowed us to set in motion the process to secure the required psychiatric care. We have established an RFP for care, and procurement is currently underway. We expect to fully implement the required psychiatric care this fall.”
Once the required psychiatric services have been acquired, the Home can attain full certification with VA standards for nursing home care. The Home has already been certified for full compliance with USDVA standards for domiciliary care.
Since the survey was conducted, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency has been appropriated additional funding for mental health services as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2014 budget, and the Home is pursuing a contract to provide comprehensive on-site mental health services to its members.
The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans occupies 90 acres of land adjacent to the Grand River in northwest Grand Rapids and is home to approximately 400 nursing care members and 60 domiciliary care members. It was established in 1886 as a home for veterans of the Civil War and continues to serve our nation’s military veterans and their spouses today.
Contact:
Veronica LaDuke 517-284-5298

- See more at: http://michigan.realestaterama.com/2013/08/06/u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs-completes-annual-survey-of-the-grand-rapids-home-for-veterans-ID0588.html#comments

Open books and better accounting practices needed at Veterans Home.

I have been thinking about this for several weeks, since the audit report came out.  What is needed at the Veterans home is an open book policy, enforced by the State legislature.  Accounting practices need to be put into place so that any individual with at least a high school education can open the books and see where money is flowing into and out of the home.

What came in, and where it went.
Donations, came in, and how they were used.

Right now as the system stands, no one knows where the money goes. For the most part it is perceived that the money gets dumped into the general fund, then doled out as needed; this is not what people who donate want to see happen.

Because of this practice, funds donated for projects get used for other things, and the projects then never get done.   This what is called abuse or mismanagement of funds. It is what common people call robbing peter to pay paul.

The cost of care for each veteran should be made clear to them at the beginning of their residency. And once each year they should be updated. A monthly or bi-monthly statement, should be provided to them (or their guardian) showing costs, and expenditures. Showing where money came in, and where it went out, and how it was used to provide for care.

Forcing veterans to pay for substandard meals, should be seen as a criminal act.
Billing veterans for services not rendered, is fraud and is a crime.

Taking away their bingo money, treats, and activities that make living at the home bearable, is an insult to every man or woman who put on the uniform.  It needs to be changed.

Poor Healthcare continues at the Grand Rapids "home" for Veterans.

Recently James Dunn, chief of staff for the state's Department of Veterans Affairs, stated to the Michigan legislature that the veterans home is providing excellent care for the veterans. I called him a liar. 

Today I stopped in and visited some of the guys, and asked them how it was going. One of the old timers who had been there for a while, said he was concerned that every day it seemed he had a new care giver. And that it bothered him. This, some several months after J2S took over the job.
Also, that yesterday their meal was delivered half an hour late, and he sat there waiting for another half hour before he was served his dinner - and when he got it it was room temperature cold.  In health terms it means that is when bacteria starts growing on the food. NOT a good thing. And he said its happening more and more often.

Another guy complained that the staff came into his room the other night at 1am, and turned on all the lights, so that they could deliver bottles of water to the guys. Then 1 hour later, did it again, to deliver laundry, then an hour after that, to continue delivering another load of laundry. This woke the guy up 3 times, and he said its no wonder the guys are getting cranky - they keep waking us up in the middle of the night.

I also noticed, that it seemed to me that many of the guys are being over medicated. I talked to several of the Dorm unit guys who work as volunteers or in one case, one who does laundry for the guys, and they all said they too have seen what appears to be an intentional overdosing of some of the guys.

Another fellow told me that recently the charge nurse stopped him from taking a drug, because it was not on his list of medications. Yet the pill was in his med cup. The nurse told him that if he had taken it, he would have gone on a mental trip and probably not returned, as it would have killed him. She asked how he got the pill but knew who ever set the med's up, made a mistake. We do not know if anything was done about it.


If this is the excellent care James Dunn was talking about, I cannot wait for him to retire and come live at the veterans home. I am sure it won't take long for them to overdose him too.