What is happening to the Michigans Veterans Home?
Over 200,000 veterans in Michigan, and less than 500 at the veterans home in G.R.? Most of those veterans are Vietnam or earlier. Few if any, are the Peace time veterans, (those that served after 1970).
Today with many veterans in need, coming back from Afghanistan, why aren't we seeing more of these guys being admitted to the home?
In deed, it seems the number of veterans at the home, is DECREASING, not increasing. And No help is being offered to the new younger generation of veterans.. why?
Is this the politics of the Far left playing into our daily lives, or is there another reason? The fact that this new generation would not put up with what is going on at the home, and one or more of them would go postal, if the home started admitting them and treating them the way they do the veterans that are there now. I think that is closer to the real answer.
This is what happens when you get an administration ran by a board of Mismanagers, and an administrator that lacks any real experience and professionalism.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Privatization is a smoke screen for the real problems at the GR Veterans Home.
Privatization is a smoke screen for the real problems at the Veterans Home.
Thru all the news about privatization or union workers, the issues at hand are being ignored. I am for privatization as it allows more freedom is dismissing those workers that just don't have what it takes to do the job, when it is necessary to dismiss them. Don't have to get hung up with the union and their arbitration process. The problem goes beyond this and very very few are looking at that. They are getting hung up by this issue.
The issues of abuse, the food, the drugging, has nothing to do with privatization. This has to do with the mandates set by the administration of the home and how they operate and treat the veterans.
The mentality of "take your drugs or you will be punished" is one that that we need to get others involved with.
We need to put an end to the assholes like Paul, the charge nurse on 3 South who has done this to several veterans.
And Krysta, the med nurse who also threatens veterans on a daily basis.
And if a veteran calls the Local Police to report their Chair or scooter stolen, the home lies to the cops. They, being the home, will inform the authorities that the veteran isn't safe on the scooter, lying in the process, and the veteran is backed into a corner.
Already over drugged, the Veteran sounds like he is out of his mind, but that is the result when you over drug people, you are affecting their entire bodily functions, and when a veterans gets "overly zealous or strong opinionated" they get drugged.
Now some of these drugs don't give the veteran enough strength to cough and when that happens, pneumonia sets in and the Veteran ends up fighting for his life in a hospital bed.
Look at what they did with Billy Rae. They punished him. After they broke his drain tube, they stopped draining fluids off of his chest cavity, and eventually took the tube out. And that was done by an incompetent nurse who had to call someone to give her instructions over the phone while she did it!
They (the veterans home) killed him, plain and simple. A friend told me that he was talking to doctor Bates, who said "too bad Billy didn't stay here". WTF Bates?!! , You had him in hospice! You weren't doing a thing for the man! You (curse) Hypocrite. You were waiting for him to DIE.
When Billy got to the Battle Creek Hospital and they drained 8 quarts of liquid off his chest.
Between October and the end of December when he died, more than 40 liters of fluid were removed from him. This is a cumulative total. 40 liters for 3 months, and he went HOW LONG at the home without having ANY drainage?!! 6 months, to a year. Once he got to Battle Creek and started getting some real medical attention, it took forever for the Veterans home in Grand Rapids to pay him the money that was owed to him.
His heart finally gave out due to the months of stress that extra fluid was exerting on the heart. Months of stress that could have been avoided at the Veterans home, had you guys fixed his drain tube, or at least tried to drain the excessive fluids off his chest.
Instead, you BATES, made him suffer and in the end killed Billy Rae by not doing a thing for him, and I am sure the same has happened to many other veterans who were once at the home. Edgar as chief of Medicine there, and Sara Dunn should be held as accessories.
Look at what they do to the Rankin guys, who have alcohol problems. The home doesn't help them. It keeps them at the home long enough to soak up a lot of money from the states veterans fund, (which pays for these veterans who have no income), or from the Federal VA, (which pays for the cost of care for service related injuries), and then when you are done with them, or the veteran becomes more than you are willing to tolerate, you throw them to the street, knowing that they will probably be dead in less than 3 months.
How many did you throw to the street in 2012; 8 veterans, 10 veterans, more than 12? I can think of 6 right now. And how many died? 4 within yards of the home itself.
Just another example of how Privatization is just a smoke screen..
The real problem, is the administration. Dirty Earnie Meyers and the board of Mismangers who don't have a clue as to whats going on in the home. And let us not forget Sara Dunn who is too busy bending over for people, and flirting with the veterans.
And the problem goes all the way to the head office in Lansing.
We are asking Federal Congressional members to support a criminal investigation of the State of Michigan Veterans Home, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, for the following reasons:
To Stop the abuse of veterans and their rights by non caring non responsive staff members on both low and high end of the administration, in various forms including Intimidation, out right threatening, over drugging, non essential drugging, the taking of personal property, Sleep Deprivation, substandard meals resulting in veterans being malnourished, constantly being threatened with discharge when the staff knows the veteran has no were else to go but the street, refusing treatments for known conditions including stress, ADHD, PTSD, Alcoholism, etc and refusing to fully and properly disclose terms and costs to veterans, resulting in Veterans fearing to speak up or have others speak up for them due to reprisal from the Staff.
Thru all the news about privatization or union workers, the issues at hand are being ignored. I am for privatization as it allows more freedom is dismissing those workers that just don't have what it takes to do the job, when it is necessary to dismiss them. Don't have to get hung up with the union and their arbitration process. The problem goes beyond this and very very few are looking at that. They are getting hung up by this issue.
The issues of abuse, the food, the drugging, has nothing to do with privatization. This has to do with the mandates set by the administration of the home and how they operate and treat the veterans.
The mentality of "take your drugs or you will be punished" is one that that we need to get others involved with.
We need to put an end to the assholes like Paul, the charge nurse on 3 South who has done this to several veterans.
And Krysta, the med nurse who also threatens veterans on a daily basis.
And if a veteran calls the Local Police to report their Chair or scooter stolen, the home lies to the cops. They, being the home, will inform the authorities that the veteran isn't safe on the scooter, lying in the process, and the veteran is backed into a corner.
Already over drugged, the Veteran sounds like he is out of his mind, but that is the result when you over drug people, you are affecting their entire bodily functions, and when a veterans gets "overly zealous or strong opinionated" they get drugged.
Now some of these drugs don't give the veteran enough strength to cough and when that happens, pneumonia sets in and the Veteran ends up fighting for his life in a hospital bed.
Look at what they did with Billy Rae. They punished him. After they broke his drain tube, they stopped draining fluids off of his chest cavity, and eventually took the tube out. And that was done by an incompetent nurse who had to call someone to give her instructions over the phone while she did it!
They (the veterans home) killed him, plain and simple. A friend told me that he was talking to doctor Bates, who said "too bad Billy didn't stay here". WTF Bates?!! , You had him in hospice! You weren't doing a thing for the man! You (curse) Hypocrite. You were waiting for him to DIE.
When Billy got to the Battle Creek Hospital and they drained 8 quarts of liquid off his chest.
Between October and the end of December when he died, more than 40 liters of fluid were removed from him. This is a cumulative total. 40 liters for 3 months, and he went HOW LONG at the home without having ANY drainage?!! 6 months, to a year. Once he got to Battle Creek and started getting some real medical attention, it took forever for the Veterans home in Grand Rapids to pay him the money that was owed to him.
His heart finally gave out due to the months of stress that extra fluid was exerting on the heart. Months of stress that could have been avoided at the Veterans home, had you guys fixed his drain tube, or at least tried to drain the excessive fluids off his chest.
Instead, you BATES, made him suffer and in the end killed Billy Rae by not doing a thing for him, and I am sure the same has happened to many other veterans who were once at the home. Edgar as chief of Medicine there, and Sara Dunn should be held as accessories.
Look at what they do to the Rankin guys, who have alcohol problems. The home doesn't help them. It keeps them at the home long enough to soak up a lot of money from the states veterans fund, (which pays for these veterans who have no income), or from the Federal VA, (which pays for the cost of care for service related injuries), and then when you are done with them, or the veteran becomes more than you are willing to tolerate, you throw them to the street, knowing that they will probably be dead in less than 3 months.
How many did you throw to the street in 2012; 8 veterans, 10 veterans, more than 12? I can think of 6 right now. And how many died? 4 within yards of the home itself.
Just another example of how Privatization is just a smoke screen..
The real problem, is the administration. Dirty Earnie Meyers and the board of Mismangers who don't have a clue as to whats going on in the home. And let us not forget Sara Dunn who is too busy bending over for people, and flirting with the veterans.
And the problem goes all the way to the head office in Lansing.
We are asking Federal Congressional members to support a criminal investigation of the State of Michigan Veterans Home, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, for the following reasons:
To Stop the abuse of veterans and their rights by non caring non responsive staff members on both low and high end of the administration, in various forms including Intimidation, out right threatening, over drugging, non essential drugging, the taking of personal property, Sleep Deprivation, substandard meals resulting in veterans being malnourished, constantly being threatened with discharge when the staff knows the veteran has no were else to go but the street, refusing treatments for known conditions including stress, ADHD, PTSD, Alcoholism, etc and refusing to fully and properly disclose terms and costs to veterans, resulting in Veterans fearing to speak up or have others speak up for them due to reprisal from the Staff.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
This kind of Abuse must STOP at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
The practice of taking a veterans Power Wheel Chair, or scooter from them, unless they immediately take medication, or for refusing to take medication that is having a negative effect on them, or when the effects are a side effect that the veteran cannot handle, is nothing less than Harassment or Abuse of a veteran.
The mere act of threatening to take away their power chair or scooter for ANY reason is unacceptable. This is HARASSMENT and ABUSE of our veterans.
Well today we have 2 people to thank for that abuse. Paul, a charge nurse on 3 south, and Krysta, the med nurse. Both today, threatened a veteran with taking his power scooter if he did not take his medication immediately.
You see, this veteran missed his morning med's, because the nurses woke him up twice in the middle of the night to check his vitals. He overslept and when he finally woke up, this is how they treated him.
This is what they do to these guys folks.. As far as I am concerned, Paul's license should be revoked immediately.
The mere act of threatening to take away their power chair or scooter for ANY reason is unacceptable. This is HARASSMENT and ABUSE of our veterans.
Well today we have 2 people to thank for that abuse. Paul, a charge nurse on 3 south, and Krysta, the med nurse. Both today, threatened a veteran with taking his power scooter if he did not take his medication immediately.
You see, this veteran missed his morning med's, because the nurses woke him up twice in the middle of the night to check his vitals. He overslept and when he finally woke up, this is how they treated him.
This is what they do to these guys folks.. As far as I am concerned, Paul's license should be revoked immediately.
Cronyism at play at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans?
For the record. This blog author, ( I cannot speak for Angry), stands against todays unions. I believe most have become useless parasites on the backs of American Workers. But once in a while, they get things right and this is such a time.
Click here for full article.
Questions about the privatization of the Care givers at the Veterans home continue to surface, while at the same time calls for investigation of the operation of the home for the last 5 years continues to be heard in offices of both Federal and State Congressional Representatives.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today former employees of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans sent a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder asking him to disclose whether or not the Home's new for-profit management company, J2S Group Healthforce, has ever contributed to the Governor's secretive NERD Fund. The letter was also submitted to the NERD Fund's Chairman, Charlie Secchia, of Grand Rapids.
Apparently, RINO Rick Snyder, has a secret slush fund and it is being used to influence his decisions and people want to know about it.
Apparently this fund has paid someone 100 thousand dollars a year to conduct official state business in the governor's executive office.. wouldn't that make him an employee then? If not, why are they paying this guy to do a job that someone should get paid to do. Something here is not right.
Click here for full article.
Questions about the privatization of the Care givers at the Veterans home continue to surface, while at the same time calls for investigation of the operation of the home for the last 5 years continues to be heard in offices of both Federal and State Congressional Representatives.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today former employees of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans sent a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder asking him to disclose whether or not the Home's new for-profit management company, J2S Group Healthforce, has ever contributed to the Governor's secretive NERD Fund. The letter was also submitted to the NERD Fund's Chairman, Charlie Secchia, of Grand Rapids.
Apparently, RINO Rick Snyder, has a secret slush fund and it is being used to influence his decisions and people want to know about it.
Apparently this fund has paid someone 100 thousand dollars a year to conduct official state business in the governor's executive office.. wouldn't that make him an employee then? If not, why are they paying this guy to do a job that someone should get paid to do. Something here is not right.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Millions wasted on new awning that will NOT do what it is supposed to do.
1.1 million dollars, plus cost overruns and other charges, for this:
At least that is what it is SUPPOSED to look like. But why bother? What is the reason for wasting 1.1 million dollars plus on a new awning that does not address the problem of why they were replacing it in the first place!
The idea here, was to create an area, where buses and ambulances could come and load and unload their passengers, with little interference from the weather. Meaning RAIN, SNOW, WIND.
Guess what folks? The last one did not work, and neither will this one.
Look at this picture to the left. Look at the arrows, This is where the wind will come in and wrap around the building and any bus or ambulance that is parked there and blow snow and ice and rain. This the exact same situation we had before. Nothing has changed, except this new awning SHOULD look better than the old one.
Is it worth 1.1 million to replace the old one? Or is this just another way to skim more money off of the veterans or the system that is supposed to be helping them?
The idea here, was to create an area, where buses and ambulances could come and load and unload their passengers, with little interference from the weather. Meaning RAIN, SNOW, WIND.
Guess what folks? The last one did not work, and neither will this one.
Is it worth 1.1 million to replace the old one? Or is this just another way to skim more money off of the veterans or the system that is supposed to be helping them?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Greg M Speaks about his time at the home and ongoing legal battle with the board of Managers.
GRH4V Blogs interview with Greg M, and his legal battle with the veterans home for his right to visit his friends who are still stuck there.
Greg -"Hi Joe, Angry, thanks for doing this."
Angry -"No problem, glad we can help ya out."
Joe - "So lets talk about this. You were at the home for 2 years, right? You ended up there during the 2008 economic depression, right? "
Greg - "Yeah, after getting laid off permanently in Feb of 2008, I took a contract job down in West Virgina, that was supposed to be for a year, but ended up being 7 months at an aerospace company. During the last 2 months there, is when what we now know was the signs of a massive heart attack, started appearing via my lower legs bloating up - edema they call it. When I returned to Michigan after 7 months down there, I stayed with my sister, while I collected unemployment. After 6 months of that, she said the only way I was going to get any real help was if I was homeless so she asked me to leave. I asked the VA clinic in G.R for help, and they sent me to the veterans home. I knew nothing about it. And sure enough I got accepted. "
Angry - "what happened after you were at the the home?"
Greg - "Well, about 8 months into it, one day while walking back to my room in Rankin 3, from morning breakfast, my heart started thumping badly just about the time I reached the elevator on Rankin 1.
I talked to Doc Edgar the next sick call and he thought cardiac. So I was sent to the VA hospital in Ann Arbor for cardiac workup. Then they recommended a heart catheter. I went and sure enough, I had a clear blockage that was old. Turns out what I thought was acid reflux attack in 2002 was my first heart attack. They also found 2 other near blockages and a 3rd one at 90 percent. They decided I needed bypass surgery as I was primed for a massive heart attack."
Joe - "How old were you? "
Greg - "47, to darned young for that! But it did not surprise me. A lot of guys who spent years in tool and die, ended up going that way when they retired. I used to work 50-60 hour work weeks on night shift, and when I got laid off permanently it all came to a head. Years of working, eating and sleeping and not taking proper care of myself caught up to me."
Angry - "So you had the surgery at the VA hospital, and then returned to the veterans home, right? "
Greg - "yep. Went in for a Triple, and came out with a Quad bypass. They found more damage. I was in Intensive care for 12 days at the VA in Ann Arbor. I returned to the home and found my recovery there was going to be difficult. But I had no were else to go."
Joe - "How so"?
Greg - "Well, When I found out I was being discharged, (from the VA hospital) I called the Rankin 3 nurses station and talked to nurse Annette there, and notified her of my returning. She told me her shift was over at 3, and there would not be a nurse on duty after that, so if I arrived after that, to go down to Rankin 1 nursing and have them call Head Nurse on duty and let them know I was there. I did and ended up walking down to HR office to let them know. That is walking from Rankin, thru the McKlish building and about half way down to the Mann building where the HR office is. Then back. This just 13 days after surgery.
The next day I found out the home could not give me the Hospitals recommended low fat diet, unless I got my meals on Rankin 1. I wanted nothing to do with Rankin 1. So I picked and chose my own foods to eat at the main dining hall. Which means I stayed away from the instant potatoes and all the super carbohydrates they constantly feed the guys. Many days I didn't eat a thing, as the menu was so bad and lacked choices. I mean, when a piece of cheese on bread is the main alternative for the evening meal, what kind of menu is that? Not a healthy one.
Then there was the ongoing edema in my legs. Constantly oozing fluids because I just couldn't get rid of them from my legs, despite my walking. Doc Edgar and I worked on this for a whole year following surgery. I still suffer from that condition to this day, however, it is slowly improving."
Angry - "how about the conditions at the home, how were they?"
Greg - "Well, considering the circumstances, they weren't great, but weren't bad either. I was in a 4 man room, with 2 of us there. My roommate W (name withheld) and I got a long pretty good. Only bad part about that was lack of room. We only had a 8 by 7 area, that was separated by curtains. We shared 2 common sinks, (one in room, one in toilet room) and a common toilet. If the room had been full 4 guys would have shared that. I had a 4 drawer dresser, with 1 lockable drawer, and I snuck in my computer desk and chair. And I had one stand up locker, 3 feet by 3 feed by 6 feet high. Just enough room for winter clothing and a summer jacket to hang up. We weren't allowed nor supposed to use the room being used by 2 other empty beds.
We had a member council for Rankin Dorm unit that met once a month. I like politics so I became involved. As the months went by I noticed a few things. First the staff really wasn't listening to the concerns of the veterans. Second, the staff used the meetings to basically threaten veterans with punishment if we did or did not do specific things. And last, that the sessions became nothing but glorified bitch sessions. So many of the Dorm unit folks stopped going to them. That was bad.
At one time they had to use a carrot on a stick to get guys to go to the meetings. In July of 2012, the activities people planned a unit picnic - but only if you attended that months member council meeting. I think 12 showed up long enough to be counted but left the meeting early. My Roommate W got very angry about it and told them that we veterans were NOT donkeys.
In August before I got discharged from the home, the staff had to go get the council president out of bed, because he and the Vice president didn't even show up for that meeting! The guys just stopped going because they believed the administration didn't care about what they had to say.
Also activities were being decreased. And so called privileges being taken away. When I first got there, there was a bingo game held in the APR (all purpose room) almost every day and twice on Saturday where the folks holding the bingo would bring in Snacks, such as Soda pop, or Juice, or coffee and donuts or pretzels, or chips, or cookies. Then that got taken away from us because of an incident involving a family member who gave a veteran the wrong kind of coffee resulting in the veteran almost choking.
Today they are lucky to have 2 bingo's a week.
The Number of trips outside the compound also decreased, in part due to budget cuts. Also the population of the home went from about 750 down to less than 500. Dorm unit has less than 50 the last time I counted which was early September of 2013."
Continued >
Greg -"Hi Joe, Angry, thanks for doing this."
Angry -"No problem, glad we can help ya out."
Joe - "So lets talk about this. You were at the home for 2 years, right? You ended up there during the 2008 economic depression, right? "
Greg - "Yeah, after getting laid off permanently in Feb of 2008, I took a contract job down in West Virgina, that was supposed to be for a year, but ended up being 7 months at an aerospace company. During the last 2 months there, is when what we now know was the signs of a massive heart attack, started appearing via my lower legs bloating up - edema they call it. When I returned to Michigan after 7 months down there, I stayed with my sister, while I collected unemployment. After 6 months of that, she said the only way I was going to get any real help was if I was homeless so she asked me to leave. I asked the VA clinic in G.R for help, and they sent me to the veterans home. I knew nothing about it. And sure enough I got accepted. "
Angry - "what happened after you were at the the home?"
Greg - "Well, about 8 months into it, one day while walking back to my room in Rankin 3, from morning breakfast, my heart started thumping badly just about the time I reached the elevator on Rankin 1.
I talked to Doc Edgar the next sick call and he thought cardiac. So I was sent to the VA hospital in Ann Arbor for cardiac workup. Then they recommended a heart catheter. I went and sure enough, I had a clear blockage that was old. Turns out what I thought was acid reflux attack in 2002 was my first heart attack. They also found 2 other near blockages and a 3rd one at 90 percent. They decided I needed bypass surgery as I was primed for a massive heart attack."
Joe - "How old were you? "
Greg - "47, to darned young for that! But it did not surprise me. A lot of guys who spent years in tool and die, ended up going that way when they retired. I used to work 50-60 hour work weeks on night shift, and when I got laid off permanently it all came to a head. Years of working, eating and sleeping and not taking proper care of myself caught up to me."
Angry - "So you had the surgery at the VA hospital, and then returned to the veterans home, right? "
Greg - "yep. Went in for a Triple, and came out with a Quad bypass. They found more damage. I was in Intensive care for 12 days at the VA in Ann Arbor. I returned to the home and found my recovery there was going to be difficult. But I had no were else to go."
Joe - "How so"?
Greg - "Well, When I found out I was being discharged, (from the VA hospital) I called the Rankin 3 nurses station and talked to nurse Annette there, and notified her of my returning. She told me her shift was over at 3, and there would not be a nurse on duty after that, so if I arrived after that, to go down to Rankin 1 nursing and have them call Head Nurse on duty and let them know I was there. I did and ended up walking down to HR office to let them know. That is walking from Rankin, thru the McKlish building and about half way down to the Mann building where the HR office is. Then back. This just 13 days after surgery.
The next day I found out the home could not give me the Hospitals recommended low fat diet, unless I got my meals on Rankin 1. I wanted nothing to do with Rankin 1. So I picked and chose my own foods to eat at the main dining hall. Which means I stayed away from the instant potatoes and all the super carbohydrates they constantly feed the guys. Many days I didn't eat a thing, as the menu was so bad and lacked choices. I mean, when a piece of cheese on bread is the main alternative for the evening meal, what kind of menu is that? Not a healthy one.
Then there was the ongoing edema in my legs. Constantly oozing fluids because I just couldn't get rid of them from my legs, despite my walking. Doc Edgar and I worked on this for a whole year following surgery. I still suffer from that condition to this day, however, it is slowly improving."
Angry - "how about the conditions at the home, how were they?"
Greg - "Well, considering the circumstances, they weren't great, but weren't bad either. I was in a 4 man room, with 2 of us there. My roommate W (name withheld) and I got a long pretty good. Only bad part about that was lack of room. We only had a 8 by 7 area, that was separated by curtains. We shared 2 common sinks, (one in room, one in toilet room) and a common toilet. If the room had been full 4 guys would have shared that. I had a 4 drawer dresser, with 1 lockable drawer, and I snuck in my computer desk and chair. And I had one stand up locker, 3 feet by 3 feed by 6 feet high. Just enough room for winter clothing and a summer jacket to hang up. We weren't allowed nor supposed to use the room being used by 2 other empty beds.
We had a member council for Rankin Dorm unit that met once a month. I like politics so I became involved. As the months went by I noticed a few things. First the staff really wasn't listening to the concerns of the veterans. Second, the staff used the meetings to basically threaten veterans with punishment if we did or did not do specific things. And last, that the sessions became nothing but glorified bitch sessions. So many of the Dorm unit folks stopped going to them. That was bad.
At one time they had to use a carrot on a stick to get guys to go to the meetings. In July of 2012, the activities people planned a unit picnic - but only if you attended that months member council meeting. I think 12 showed up long enough to be counted but left the meeting early. My Roommate W got very angry about it and told them that we veterans were NOT donkeys.
In August before I got discharged from the home, the staff had to go get the council president out of bed, because he and the Vice president didn't even show up for that meeting! The guys just stopped going because they believed the administration didn't care about what they had to say.
Also activities were being decreased. And so called privileges being taken away. When I first got there, there was a bingo game held in the APR (all purpose room) almost every day and twice on Saturday where the folks holding the bingo would bring in Snacks, such as Soda pop, or Juice, or coffee and donuts or pretzels, or chips, or cookies. Then that got taken away from us because of an incident involving a family member who gave a veteran the wrong kind of coffee resulting in the veteran almost choking.
Today they are lucky to have 2 bingo's a week.
The Number of trips outside the compound also decreased, in part due to budget cuts. Also the population of the home went from about 750 down to less than 500. Dorm unit has less than 50 the last time I counted which was early September of 2013."
Continued >
Greg M Speaks, Part 2
Angry - " Ok, so what happened that got you so upset that you threatened to remove the head of one of the security people? That's the reason you got discharged, correct? "
Greg - "Well, the simplest answer is I cracked under stress, and took something the wrong way and ran with it for 2 weeks. In the simplest terms, I panicked. I really thought they were intending to steal my car, which was the last thing of value besides my computer, that I owned. I mean it really freaked me out. And now, after the fact, I am angry that the home didn't show any "care" about my mental state of mind during that time. I mean, here I was stressing out and they acted as if they could care less. "
Joe - "How so? What was stressing you out at the time? You had no responsibilities, were being fed, had a warm bed to sleep in, and all you had to do was heal up from your heart operation. How stressful can that be? I mean its not like you were working full time and were chasing the ole time clock like I have to do 5 days a week."
Greg - No Joe, I wasn't chasing a clock the way you were, but I was in a way. I had specific times for meals, if I wanted to eat that slop they served in the main dining hall. There were other things adding to the stress.. but let me back up a moment. I've always had a car. When I arrived at the home I had a little Mercury Topaz with a 4 banger engine. I had 250k on it and drove the wheels off of it. Damn good little car too. One of the best I ever owned. Well, when I got to the home I knew something was wrong with me physically as I could not walk the east -west length of the compound carrying 2 2liter bottles of pop in a back pack without needing a half hour nap afterwards. By this time I had already sold or gotten rid of most of my personally owned stuff, as the money from the sale of that stuff, provided my car insurance payments. In just over 2 years I went from having a nice 2 bedroom apartment with walk out and garage, to owning practically nothing and not having any home at all. I went from being able to work 70 hours a week, to just being able to walk for about 1/4th of a mile. I gained weight, lots of weight. I went from 210 lbs to 360. OWCH. I lost all of that, and more before I came to the veterans home. I went from a productive citizen to one who was now dependent on government. The stress from that alone was damn near unbearable.
Well just before the surgery, I got rid of the old Topaz and bought a Grand Prix. Bigger car, bigger engine. And like the year before, during the winter time, the members had specific places to park their cars so the snow crews could come in and do the plowing.
Didn't have any problems the two winters. But the third winter season started out a bit ruff and that's where I got kicked out.
The home put up notices, that contained a graphic of a car being towed away. And that angered me. How dare they threaten veteran members with having their cars towed away! Especially the dorm unit guys who had little or no income to use to recover said cars if they got impounded and towed. So when Josh (security guy) Put up a notice on the Rankin 3 bulletin board, I told him that I felt sorry for anyone who towed a veterans car.. the legal repercussions would be horrendous. Well, he took it the wrong way and wrote me up for an incident. And that's where this whole damn thing started.
A week later, I came back with a bunch of guys from a Meijers run and once again, our parking area was filled with 2nd shift employee cars. So I parked in front of Rankin 3, about 3 car lengths down from the chapel entrance. Since I didn't go anywhere for a few days, the car sat there with no one messing with it. About 3 of us parked there regularly.
Then on the 3rd of October, I found the towing citation on my car. THAT sent me ballistic. It was bad enough with my condition that Doc Edgar would not recommend I get a handicap sticker for my car. I mean I was limited to 25lbs lifting. Carry a Meijer bag with 2, 2 liters of Coke or Pepsi in it, from the back lot to my room, and I needed a 15 min nap. Heaven forbid I actually had 4 bags of stuff.
Due to the fact that the home could not (or would not) provide me with a diet the VA hospital recommended, and due to their low quality meals, I supplemented my own meals. Let me go into a bit more detail here.
A non income person (someone without any income what so ever) gets 5 dollars a week for personal use by the Michigan veterans trust. A person with income, has to pay for their cost of care. Anything above that, they may keep. But at 2100+ dollars a month (depending on the individual) most people with any kind of income, did not pay their cost of care in full. They were allowed to keep 100 a month. Well as I said before, I was selling off my possessions to pay for car insurance. Once I got Social Security disability, I got the 100 a month. But even with my perfect driving record, with Michigans no fault insurance which is a nightmare, my insurance costs were 85 a month for PL and PD, the state minimums.
Luckily the America Legion Auxiliary had the poppy program at the home, and I was able to participate in that. I got paid 60 bucks to make 1000 of them, and I did about 3000 every two weeks. This paid for my cell phone and extra food, that I would get to supplement the terrible diet the home fed us. Ya know its bad when one of the staff nurses who used to work in the state prison system tells ya that the prisoners had better meals.
I would get boxes of Breakfast Cereals, and extras for salads, and things I could nuke up in the microwave, that were shelvable. I had my own plate, bowl, and stuff to cook with, and I actually made spaghetti several times, using sauce I bought at the store because I hated the tomato and water they served as a sauce down in the main dining hall. If I wanted extra Veggies for salads I would go and get them in the morning of the day I knew we were going to have a salad bar, and then have them ready to go in plastic containers that I took to the chow hall. This included my own salad dressings. I even bought a box of Miracal Whip packages, so that I could have them for days we had sub sandwiches. Took me almost a year to go thru all 500 packets.
So anyways, if I made a run to the store and had to bring this stuff up in those cloth Meijer bags, I would have to make 2 to 4 trips to my car, due to weight limitations. So when I could not find a place to park in the member parking area, I parked in front of our building by the chapel entrance, which drastically shortened the distance.
So when I found that citation on my car, I went ballistic, Got angry and wanted those idiots to know they had no business threatening to steal a member veterans car. I just did it the wrong way. By the time I had realized it, it was too late to change what had happened."
Angry - "Was that what they were really doing?"
Greg - " In retrospect, probably not, but at the time, in my state of mind, that is how I saw it. 2 years of the staff not listening to veterans at the Dorm Council meetings, and now this? I wanted to make sure they understood that if they towed my car, there would be serious repercussions including the possibility of my becoming totally unglued, even with my condition. So I told them the first idiot who had my car towed would be the first to go to the hospital to have their head reattached - and I did it in writing, not verbally. This I gave to security.
I then made a copy of that and added more and gave it to Gary Davis, Veterans Rep at the home, asking him how the hell we were supposed to park in the designated area when it was filled with employee cars?!!
After 3 days without a response and seeing those flyers being plastered all over the place, I decided to act again.. (dummy me). I took some Avery return address labels and printed out "Think safety, think what will happen if you tow a veterans car, you cannot afford the price you will pay." and started slapping them on every one of those flyers that I could find. I was still VERY VERY angered at their using that towing graphic. So, After a few days of that, I finally calmed down and one morning it hit me.. and I said "oh crap, I just blew it..".. So I figured I was gonna get 3 to 5 days out seeing how this was my first screw up at the home.
But that is not what happened. Dwight Ferguson, the Titled counselor for Dorm unit guys, who really didn't do any counseling, came to my room on the evening of 9 October and told me I had a meeting with Sara Dunn the next morning. Sara was by some political action, declared to be the permanent head administrator of the home. It was to be my first and only time I talked to her while I was a member at the home.
So the next morning I went down, knocked on the door, walked in and was asked by Gary Davis if I knew why I was there. I said yes, that I screwed up and took something the wrong way and kinda ran with it for 2 weeks. I was NOT ready for what happened next. That's when they told me they wanted me out that day. Since my Disability check did not arrive for another 2 weeks I told them it was impossible, and told them why. So they got a loan from the bank for me so that I could put gas in my car and move my stuff out that day. It took me 4 trips to Kalamazoo and back.
No Due process, no facing my accusers, NO consideration of the fact that Josh's write up contained a suggestion that someone talk to me about the incident.. They failed to listen to their own staff, which is what the dorm unit council meetings showed us.. It was one of the major problems facing the members at the home. They still do not listen to their staff.
Now understand this. Every one of us on Rankin Dorm, were Thankful to the People of Michigan for giving us a place to stay and help us get our act together. But little did we know that our financial futures were being threatened too. Talk about a mind job. The home was stressing us out with the way it was being run, while we were trying to heal up from various medical issues. Its kind of like hitting the hand that is feeding you.. sooner or later it won't feed you.. but the problem was not the hand, but the people running it. We veteran members had no voice, and no rights. We were treated as if we were stupid morons even though many of us had college degrees.
What people do not know, is that the cost of care at the home, accrues, and later in life, if a veteran ever comes across a large sum of money, by inheritance or winning the lottery, the state of Michigan will try to collect that money for their care. The longer a veteran stays at the home, unless he stays until he dies, the larger the debt becomes. And they WILL try to collect if they can.
This means a contract is in effect, and the home breaches that contract numerous times, and give us no voice in how our money is being spent, or how much they are charging us. They should be sued for the massive amount of fraud that they do every day.
When I got there, there was a nurse on staff in Dorm 24/7. When I left they had 1 "Part time full time" nurse named Kathy. We call her part time because she always says "its not my job".
And understand this. They also commit bank fraud and mail fraud almost on a daily basis.
When I got my final hearing for Social Security disability, the judge asked me where to send the check. I said my home address which was registered in Plainwell, Michigan.
Yet some how that check got to the home, and they rubber stamped it or forged my signature, (I have no idea which), as I never saw it. To this day I will swear that I never got it. But they said they had it and put MY part of it into the member bank.. Well, I couldn't even get my money out!. My car needed repairs and I was limited to 500 per day withdraw from the bank. Had I gotten the check, I could have cashed it, Taken the home their part and got my part that same day, ALL of my part of it.
AND the dam thieves had it for 3 days before I found out they even had it! This is just one of the criminal acts they do on veterans there.
Continued >
Greg - "Well, the simplest answer is I cracked under stress, and took something the wrong way and ran with it for 2 weeks. In the simplest terms, I panicked. I really thought they were intending to steal my car, which was the last thing of value besides my computer, that I owned. I mean it really freaked me out. And now, after the fact, I am angry that the home didn't show any "care" about my mental state of mind during that time. I mean, here I was stressing out and they acted as if they could care less. "
Joe - "How so? What was stressing you out at the time? You had no responsibilities, were being fed, had a warm bed to sleep in, and all you had to do was heal up from your heart operation. How stressful can that be? I mean its not like you were working full time and were chasing the ole time clock like I have to do 5 days a week."
Greg - No Joe, I wasn't chasing a clock the way you were, but I was in a way. I had specific times for meals, if I wanted to eat that slop they served in the main dining hall. There were other things adding to the stress.. but let me back up a moment. I've always had a car. When I arrived at the home I had a little Mercury Topaz with a 4 banger engine. I had 250k on it and drove the wheels off of it. Damn good little car too. One of the best I ever owned. Well, when I got to the home I knew something was wrong with me physically as I could not walk the east -west length of the compound carrying 2 2liter bottles of pop in a back pack without needing a half hour nap afterwards. By this time I had already sold or gotten rid of most of my personally owned stuff, as the money from the sale of that stuff, provided my car insurance payments. In just over 2 years I went from having a nice 2 bedroom apartment with walk out and garage, to owning practically nothing and not having any home at all. I went from being able to work 70 hours a week, to just being able to walk for about 1/4th of a mile. I gained weight, lots of weight. I went from 210 lbs to 360. OWCH. I lost all of that, and more before I came to the veterans home. I went from a productive citizen to one who was now dependent on government. The stress from that alone was damn near unbearable.
Well just before the surgery, I got rid of the old Topaz and bought a Grand Prix. Bigger car, bigger engine. And like the year before, during the winter time, the members had specific places to park their cars so the snow crews could come in and do the plowing.
Didn't have any problems the two winters. But the third winter season started out a bit ruff and that's where I got kicked out.
The home put up notices, that contained a graphic of a car being towed away. And that angered me. How dare they threaten veteran members with having their cars towed away! Especially the dorm unit guys who had little or no income to use to recover said cars if they got impounded and towed. So when Josh (security guy) Put up a notice on the Rankin 3 bulletin board, I told him that I felt sorry for anyone who towed a veterans car.. the legal repercussions would be horrendous. Well, he took it the wrong way and wrote me up for an incident. And that's where this whole damn thing started.
A week later, I came back with a bunch of guys from a Meijers run and once again, our parking area was filled with 2nd shift employee cars. So I parked in front of Rankin 3, about 3 car lengths down from the chapel entrance. Since I didn't go anywhere for a few days, the car sat there with no one messing with it. About 3 of us parked there regularly.
Then on the 3rd of October, I found the towing citation on my car. THAT sent me ballistic. It was bad enough with my condition that Doc Edgar would not recommend I get a handicap sticker for my car. I mean I was limited to 25lbs lifting. Carry a Meijer bag with 2, 2 liters of Coke or Pepsi in it, from the back lot to my room, and I needed a 15 min nap. Heaven forbid I actually had 4 bags of stuff.
Due to the fact that the home could not (or would not) provide me with a diet the VA hospital recommended, and due to their low quality meals, I supplemented my own meals. Let me go into a bit more detail here.
A non income person (someone without any income what so ever) gets 5 dollars a week for personal use by the Michigan veterans trust. A person with income, has to pay for their cost of care. Anything above that, they may keep. But at 2100+ dollars a month (depending on the individual) most people with any kind of income, did not pay their cost of care in full. They were allowed to keep 100 a month. Well as I said before, I was selling off my possessions to pay for car insurance. Once I got Social Security disability, I got the 100 a month. But even with my perfect driving record, with Michigans no fault insurance which is a nightmare, my insurance costs were 85 a month for PL and PD, the state minimums.
Luckily the America Legion Auxiliary had the poppy program at the home, and I was able to participate in that. I got paid 60 bucks to make 1000 of them, and I did about 3000 every two weeks. This paid for my cell phone and extra food, that I would get to supplement the terrible diet the home fed us. Ya know its bad when one of the staff nurses who used to work in the state prison system tells ya that the prisoners had better meals.
I would get boxes of Breakfast Cereals, and extras for salads, and things I could nuke up in the microwave, that were shelvable. I had my own plate, bowl, and stuff to cook with, and I actually made spaghetti several times, using sauce I bought at the store because I hated the tomato and water they served as a sauce down in the main dining hall. If I wanted extra Veggies for salads I would go and get them in the morning of the day I knew we were going to have a salad bar, and then have them ready to go in plastic containers that I took to the chow hall. This included my own salad dressings. I even bought a box of Miracal Whip packages, so that I could have them for days we had sub sandwiches. Took me almost a year to go thru all 500 packets.
So anyways, if I made a run to the store and had to bring this stuff up in those cloth Meijer bags, I would have to make 2 to 4 trips to my car, due to weight limitations. So when I could not find a place to park in the member parking area, I parked in front of our building by the chapel entrance, which drastically shortened the distance.
So when I found that citation on my car, I went ballistic, Got angry and wanted those idiots to know they had no business threatening to steal a member veterans car. I just did it the wrong way. By the time I had realized it, it was too late to change what had happened."
Angry - "Was that what they were really doing?"
Greg - " In retrospect, probably not, but at the time, in my state of mind, that is how I saw it. 2 years of the staff not listening to veterans at the Dorm Council meetings, and now this? I wanted to make sure they understood that if they towed my car, there would be serious repercussions including the possibility of my becoming totally unglued, even with my condition. So I told them the first idiot who had my car towed would be the first to go to the hospital to have their head reattached - and I did it in writing, not verbally. This I gave to security.
I then made a copy of that and added more and gave it to Gary Davis, Veterans Rep at the home, asking him how the hell we were supposed to park in the designated area when it was filled with employee cars?!!
After 3 days without a response and seeing those flyers being plastered all over the place, I decided to act again.. (dummy me). I took some Avery return address labels and printed out "Think safety, think what will happen if you tow a veterans car, you cannot afford the price you will pay." and started slapping them on every one of those flyers that I could find. I was still VERY VERY angered at their using that towing graphic. So, After a few days of that, I finally calmed down and one morning it hit me.. and I said "oh crap, I just blew it..".. So I figured I was gonna get 3 to 5 days out seeing how this was my first screw up at the home.
But that is not what happened. Dwight Ferguson, the Titled counselor for Dorm unit guys, who really didn't do any counseling, came to my room on the evening of 9 October and told me I had a meeting with Sara Dunn the next morning. Sara was by some political action, declared to be the permanent head administrator of the home. It was to be my first and only time I talked to her while I was a member at the home.
So the next morning I went down, knocked on the door, walked in and was asked by Gary Davis if I knew why I was there. I said yes, that I screwed up and took something the wrong way and kinda ran with it for 2 weeks. I was NOT ready for what happened next. That's when they told me they wanted me out that day. Since my Disability check did not arrive for another 2 weeks I told them it was impossible, and told them why. So they got a loan from the bank for me so that I could put gas in my car and move my stuff out that day. It took me 4 trips to Kalamazoo and back.
No Due process, no facing my accusers, NO consideration of the fact that Josh's write up contained a suggestion that someone talk to me about the incident.. They failed to listen to their own staff, which is what the dorm unit council meetings showed us.. It was one of the major problems facing the members at the home. They still do not listen to their staff.
Now understand this. Every one of us on Rankin Dorm, were Thankful to the People of Michigan for giving us a place to stay and help us get our act together. But little did we know that our financial futures were being threatened too. Talk about a mind job. The home was stressing us out with the way it was being run, while we were trying to heal up from various medical issues. Its kind of like hitting the hand that is feeding you.. sooner or later it won't feed you.. but the problem was not the hand, but the people running it. We veteran members had no voice, and no rights. We were treated as if we were stupid morons even though many of us had college degrees.
What people do not know, is that the cost of care at the home, accrues, and later in life, if a veteran ever comes across a large sum of money, by inheritance or winning the lottery, the state of Michigan will try to collect that money for their care. The longer a veteran stays at the home, unless he stays until he dies, the larger the debt becomes. And they WILL try to collect if they can.
This means a contract is in effect, and the home breaches that contract numerous times, and give us no voice in how our money is being spent, or how much they are charging us. They should be sued for the massive amount of fraud that they do every day.
When I got there, there was a nurse on staff in Dorm 24/7. When I left they had 1 "Part time full time" nurse named Kathy. We call her part time because she always says "its not my job".
And understand this. They also commit bank fraud and mail fraud almost on a daily basis.
When I got my final hearing for Social Security disability, the judge asked me where to send the check. I said my home address which was registered in Plainwell, Michigan.
Yet some how that check got to the home, and they rubber stamped it or forged my signature, (I have no idea which), as I never saw it. To this day I will swear that I never got it. But they said they had it and put MY part of it into the member bank.. Well, I couldn't even get my money out!. My car needed repairs and I was limited to 500 per day withdraw from the bank. Had I gotten the check, I could have cashed it, Taken the home their part and got my part that same day, ALL of my part of it.
AND the dam thieves had it for 3 days before I found out they even had it! This is just one of the criminal acts they do on veterans there.
Continued >
Greg M Speaks, Part 3
Greg Continues:
Examples of the staff treating us as if we were stupid are many. At one meeting, Dwight Fergason (spelling?) told us that if any one caused the home to be cast in a negative light, woe would befall upon him. We took that as a direct threat.
Another example is the staff constantly threatening Dorm unit with discharge, for smoking in the building at the duckpond landing by elevator 9, on the first floor. Yet they knew that one of the guys from Rankin 1, (a nursing unit) was doing it 2 and 3 times daily. He would not step outside. The area was covered by security cameras. They knew who was smoking in the landing area. Yet we got bitched at and threatened.
Another example, was Tiffany Carr, who came to a meeting complaining about the way the guys were using the computers on the internet. She admitted she knew nothing about computers, so why was she there bitching at us for something she knew NOTHING about?!! She was threatening to take away our internet. And from what I hear, the Dorm units Wireless routers that lets the guys access internet, have all been shut off or are not working properly because no one will reset them from a power outage that happened 2 months ago."
At the Dorm unit meetings, we constantly heard the staff bitch about how the internet was for job hunting and doing resume's. Yet no one on the staff even knew how to do a resume. I was the one who taught the Dorm Unit activities person Dianna Knoll how to use Microsoft word and the templates found in the program, to write a resume!
And there was no help in finding jobs, or information available to us as to where to look, or how to do resumes, or how to prepare for a job interview. We were left on our own. So the guys used the internet the way most people do - For email, and for playing games and getting music and watching videos on you tube and such.. and the staff did not like us doing that, claiming it ate up too much bandwidth. Heck, those idiots didn't even know what bandwidth was! When guys had questions about computers, the came to Randy or me, not the staff."
Joe - "Ok, so what happened after you left the home? Did you end up on the street?"
Greg - "No. My sister took me back in. I paid her rent money this time though. I had planned on being at the home until the next spring, and then try to get an apartment of my own.. But that was not to be. I wanted to continue with Doc Edgar to work on my edema and weight problems, the edema of which is in relapse now, meaning the legs are swelling and oozing again.
I also switched my health care back to the VA clinic and applied for mental health screening.. I talked to one Doc there for about 5 months on a bi-weekly basis.. he really helped me learn how to cope with this new life I have.
In November, with the help of a lawyer from legal aid, I filed for my first appeal. The Board of Managers wanted me to get some counseling first, and that's when I asked for it at the VA clinic.
In June of 2013 the next year, I filed my 2nd appeal, and was denied access to the board of managers. I talked to another lawyer and started going back to the home to visit friends, but I never went INTO the home. I just sat out on the pavilion and met them there and we talked.
In July I was invited as a guest to go to Carnival. There Sara Dunn objected to me being on property, and did not have the professionalism to address me directly even though I never said a bad word to her, even on the day she kicked me out. Instead, she had Gary Davis do it. He told me I wasn't supposed to be there. I have witnesses to this. I told him I would leave if he asked. He did not. I spent the day with my friend and his wife, and did not take a THING from that Carnival. Then I left at the end. Well, it was the worst one of the 3 I had attended. Many people cited the Administration for the lack of turn out of the volunteer groups who put it on.
I continued to go to the home and started returning to Guitars 4 Veterans. That was the only time I set foot inside the buildings. I went to 3 session. Guitars 4 Vets is a A non profit nation wide organization that holds it meetings at the home. I was a graduate of the class, and became an instructor.
Also that month I moved into an apartment near Grand Rapids and not too far from the home. My sis brought me a letter on the 25th, that was written 2 weeks before from the board of managers. Earnest Meyers, chairman of the board told me to stay off the property until I appeared before the board, and that if I asked, I would be sent notice to do so. I wrote back saying I asked before in June, and heard nothing. What he did not tell me, was that the board met in August, at the DJ Jocabbi home in the Norther UP, and brought up my case, and denied my appeal. I was then invited to the September meeting at the GR home.
There Earnest Meyers made it clear that HE ran the home, and not some lawyer. He was very upset that I took the advice of a lawyer. Even with 2 well known and respected volunteers to testify on my behalf, Earnest never looked at my appeal. Instead he wanted me off property period. And he made that very very clear. He didn't even mention that they had discussed my case the month before. I found that out from an informant who got a copy of the Jacobbi meeting minuets.
Well, they decided to table my appeal until the October meeting. And would not address any more of my issues. I waited till they voted and asked if I could at lest attend Guitars for Vets. I told them I would await their decision out on the pavilion.
I waited for 2 hours. And they came out and Earnest said NO. I had to stay off the property but that I would be called to the next meeting to present my appeal. I said ok, and agreed to stay off the property and HAVE DONE SO to this day, in hopes of bringing this to a close.
Then I got the letter of 7 Oct, all but shutting the door in my face, and telling me I had to take it to court. Now it is clear, Meyers never intended on giving me a fair hearing. "
Angry - "Man that stinks. All that over one issue?"
Greg - "Well there are 2 now. The original incident, and the incident of my going back to visit friends on the advice of a lawyer and not on the word of demi-god Earnest Meyers Chairman of the board. I now feel victimized by the home and the board. If he wants litigation, so be it. And I will do my best to make him look the fool that I now think he is.
I mean, we could have settled this and it been history MONTHS ago.. but he decided to keep it going. To me its like sending a guy to prison for life for stealing a pack of gum. Remember I told that to you last week when I gave you a copy of his letter, Angry. This is nothing but a pissing game ran by Earnie Meyers.
What they are doing is so damn PETTY, that I wanna just puke. He is playing politics, and thank God no one is paying him for the job. His lack of professionalism is just dreadful. I think he is a disgrace to the veterans at the home. He doesn't give a rats ass about any of them. "
Ya know, I was at the Veterans Outreach center the other day talking to veterans, and a few had stayed down at the hospital in Battle Creek. They said the veterans down there say the Battle Creek Hospital may be bad, but not as bad as they have heard the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans is.
Apparently the Home has quite a BAD reputation now amongst Michigan Veterans. They think its worse than the VA! Well, I have only stayed at one VA hospital and that was the one in Ann Arbor and I thought that one was nice, for a hospital. But even so, with the things I have seen here at the Grand Rapids Home, I fully understand how it got its bad reputation.
And lets face it. This blog has exposed a LOT of whats going on at the home. I just wonder why the home is not being criminally investigated and the administration hasn't been lead out in handcuffs yet. But I have hopes it will happen one day..
I guess its going to be like the State congressman said; once someone goes postal, then maybe the state will take a closer look.. I just hope none of the guys do."
Joe -"What is next for you?"
Greg - " Court. And I will let ya know how it turns out after its done, but it might be a while. I intend on going for damages, plus the removal of some of the board members, plus my right to visit friends again.
I think the courts have 2 questions that need answering. The first is when does a member veteran stop being subject to the policy rule making of the board of directors? The second question, is does the board have the authority to deny citizens access to the home for visitation without a court order? Also I intend on getting a court order allowing me back on property. To do that I think we are going to have to issue a show cause order and force Earnest Meyers to come to court to testify. There he will look very foolish in front of the judge. Remember, the home treats member veterans as if they are nothing more than stupid slaves. So this should be an interesting time in court. And if I win, it will set precedence and force the board to rethink how it treats veterans. "
Angry - "Cool. Hey thanks for stopping by and doing this. I will get this typed up and posted soon.".
Editors note:
It is now evident that the word of Earnest Meyers is not worth a bucket of spit and he cannot be trusted.
Earnest Meyers told Greg he would be sent notice to appear at the October meeting of the board and instead, Earnest Meyers has shut him out and forced him to take his issues to court. I hope a Judge slams Meyers for his stupidity, dishonesty and is disgraceful actions against the veterans he is supposed to be helping.
THIS is Ernest Meyers, chairman of the board of managers.
Examples of the staff treating us as if we were stupid are many. At one meeting, Dwight Fergason (spelling?) told us that if any one caused the home to be cast in a negative light, woe would befall upon him. We took that as a direct threat.
Another example is the staff constantly threatening Dorm unit with discharge, for smoking in the building at the duckpond landing by elevator 9, on the first floor. Yet they knew that one of the guys from Rankin 1, (a nursing unit) was doing it 2 and 3 times daily. He would not step outside. The area was covered by security cameras. They knew who was smoking in the landing area. Yet we got bitched at and threatened.
Another example, was Tiffany Carr, who came to a meeting complaining about the way the guys were using the computers on the internet. She admitted she knew nothing about computers, so why was she there bitching at us for something she knew NOTHING about?!! She was threatening to take away our internet. And from what I hear, the Dorm units Wireless routers that lets the guys access internet, have all been shut off or are not working properly because no one will reset them from a power outage that happened 2 months ago."
At the Dorm unit meetings, we constantly heard the staff bitch about how the internet was for job hunting and doing resume's. Yet no one on the staff even knew how to do a resume. I was the one who taught the Dorm Unit activities person Dianna Knoll how to use Microsoft word and the templates found in the program, to write a resume!
And there was no help in finding jobs, or information available to us as to where to look, or how to do resumes, or how to prepare for a job interview. We were left on our own. So the guys used the internet the way most people do - For email, and for playing games and getting music and watching videos on you tube and such.. and the staff did not like us doing that, claiming it ate up too much bandwidth. Heck, those idiots didn't even know what bandwidth was! When guys had questions about computers, the came to Randy or me, not the staff."
Joe - "Ok, so what happened after you left the home? Did you end up on the street?"
Greg - "No. My sister took me back in. I paid her rent money this time though. I had planned on being at the home until the next spring, and then try to get an apartment of my own.. But that was not to be. I wanted to continue with Doc Edgar to work on my edema and weight problems, the edema of which is in relapse now, meaning the legs are swelling and oozing again.
I also switched my health care back to the VA clinic and applied for mental health screening.. I talked to one Doc there for about 5 months on a bi-weekly basis.. he really helped me learn how to cope with this new life I have.
In November, with the help of a lawyer from legal aid, I filed for my first appeal. The Board of Managers wanted me to get some counseling first, and that's when I asked for it at the VA clinic.
In June of 2013 the next year, I filed my 2nd appeal, and was denied access to the board of managers. I talked to another lawyer and started going back to the home to visit friends, but I never went INTO the home. I just sat out on the pavilion and met them there and we talked.
In July I was invited as a guest to go to Carnival. There Sara Dunn objected to me being on property, and did not have the professionalism to address me directly even though I never said a bad word to her, even on the day she kicked me out. Instead, she had Gary Davis do it. He told me I wasn't supposed to be there. I have witnesses to this. I told him I would leave if he asked. He did not. I spent the day with my friend and his wife, and did not take a THING from that Carnival. Then I left at the end. Well, it was the worst one of the 3 I had attended. Many people cited the Administration for the lack of turn out of the volunteer groups who put it on.
I continued to go to the home and started returning to Guitars 4 Veterans. That was the only time I set foot inside the buildings. I went to 3 session. Guitars 4 Vets is a A non profit nation wide organization that holds it meetings at the home. I was a graduate of the class, and became an instructor.
Also that month I moved into an apartment near Grand Rapids and not too far from the home. My sis brought me a letter on the 25th, that was written 2 weeks before from the board of managers. Earnest Meyers, chairman of the board told me to stay off the property until I appeared before the board, and that if I asked, I would be sent notice to do so. I wrote back saying I asked before in June, and heard nothing. What he did not tell me, was that the board met in August, at the DJ Jocabbi home in the Norther UP, and brought up my case, and denied my appeal. I was then invited to the September meeting at the GR home.
There Earnest Meyers made it clear that HE ran the home, and not some lawyer. He was very upset that I took the advice of a lawyer. Even with 2 well known and respected volunteers to testify on my behalf, Earnest never looked at my appeal. Instead he wanted me off property period. And he made that very very clear. He didn't even mention that they had discussed my case the month before. I found that out from an informant who got a copy of the Jacobbi meeting minuets.
Well, they decided to table my appeal until the October meeting. And would not address any more of my issues. I waited till they voted and asked if I could at lest attend Guitars for Vets. I told them I would await their decision out on the pavilion.
I waited for 2 hours. And they came out and Earnest said NO. I had to stay off the property but that I would be called to the next meeting to present my appeal. I said ok, and agreed to stay off the property and HAVE DONE SO to this day, in hopes of bringing this to a close.
Then I got the letter of 7 Oct, all but shutting the door in my face, and telling me I had to take it to court. Now it is clear, Meyers never intended on giving me a fair hearing. "
Angry - "Man that stinks. All that over one issue?"
Greg - "Well there are 2 now. The original incident, and the incident of my going back to visit friends on the advice of a lawyer and not on the word of demi-god Earnest Meyers Chairman of the board. I now feel victimized by the home and the board. If he wants litigation, so be it. And I will do my best to make him look the fool that I now think he is.
I mean, we could have settled this and it been history MONTHS ago.. but he decided to keep it going. To me its like sending a guy to prison for life for stealing a pack of gum. Remember I told that to you last week when I gave you a copy of his letter, Angry. This is nothing but a pissing game ran by Earnie Meyers.
What they are doing is so damn PETTY, that I wanna just puke. He is playing politics, and thank God no one is paying him for the job. His lack of professionalism is just dreadful. I think he is a disgrace to the veterans at the home. He doesn't give a rats ass about any of them. "
Ya know, I was at the Veterans Outreach center the other day talking to veterans, and a few had stayed down at the hospital in Battle Creek. They said the veterans down there say the Battle Creek Hospital may be bad, but not as bad as they have heard the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans is.
Apparently the Home has quite a BAD reputation now amongst Michigan Veterans. They think its worse than the VA! Well, I have only stayed at one VA hospital and that was the one in Ann Arbor and I thought that one was nice, for a hospital. But even so, with the things I have seen here at the Grand Rapids Home, I fully understand how it got its bad reputation.
And lets face it. This blog has exposed a LOT of whats going on at the home. I just wonder why the home is not being criminally investigated and the administration hasn't been lead out in handcuffs yet. But I have hopes it will happen one day..
I guess its going to be like the State congressman said; once someone goes postal, then maybe the state will take a closer look.. I just hope none of the guys do."
Joe -"What is next for you?"
Greg - " Court. And I will let ya know how it turns out after its done, but it might be a while. I intend on going for damages, plus the removal of some of the board members, plus my right to visit friends again.
I think the courts have 2 questions that need answering. The first is when does a member veteran stop being subject to the policy rule making of the board of directors? The second question, is does the board have the authority to deny citizens access to the home for visitation without a court order? Also I intend on getting a court order allowing me back on property. To do that I think we are going to have to issue a show cause order and force Earnest Meyers to come to court to testify. There he will look very foolish in front of the judge. Remember, the home treats member veterans as if they are nothing more than stupid slaves. So this should be an interesting time in court. And if I win, it will set precedence and force the board to rethink how it treats veterans. "
Angry - "Cool. Hey thanks for stopping by and doing this. I will get this typed up and posted soon.".
Editors note:
It is now evident that the word of Earnest Meyers is not worth a bucket of spit and he cannot be trusted.
Earnest Meyers told Greg he would be sent notice to appear at the October meeting of the board and instead, Earnest Meyers has shut him out and forced him to take his issues to court. I hope a Judge slams Meyers for his stupidity, dishonesty and is disgraceful actions against the veterans he is supposed to be helping.
THIS is Ernest Meyers, chairman of the board of managers.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Grand Rapids PRISON for veterans: Veteran cannot afford to complain about the conditions at the home?!
Karen J called me, and said she went to visit her dad Saturday. She was in the Smoking area and saw Ken, one of the veterans. Apparently he had a lot to say. When she asked him why he didn't file a complaint about some of the stuff he talked about, he gave her an answer she was not expecting.
He
said he is in a major pickle. He has no place else to go and is afraid
of them transferring him to a nursing home. He said, and She quotes: "I can't afford to complain."
This is UN-excusable. Our Veterans should NEVER have to live in these conditions.
This is UN-excusable. Our Veterans should NEVER have to live in these conditions.
Veteran Fears retaliation from staff members.
Angry has reported it, and tonight I saw it with my own eyes. And It SICKENS ME!
How DARE they treat our guys like this?
Tonight folks,I was invited to dinner with a veteran from the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, and his wife. We went to a nice restaurant on Plainfield Avenue and had a very good meal. It was after that, during our casual conversation that I saw something that shook me to my very soul.
Now let me tell you before I go into the details that Angry who owns this blog, told me I can only post the truth. Well this is as true as it gets.
We were talking about the local news in General. About Art Prize, and the new blue lights on the pedestrian bridge over the Grand River, when this veteran had a spasm. His wife asked him how long they had been going on. He said several months. His wife asked him if he had told the doctors.
And that is when it started. You could see the FEAR in his eyes. He said no, as he was holding back tears. He said he wouldn't trust a DOG to those doctors at the home. That angered his wife who said she was going to look into it as soon as she got him back to the home.
He begged her not to. When asked why, he replied because they would take away his power wheel chair. Then she told me that they had put a notice on his chair that if he refused to take all the medication they said he had to take, they would take away his power chair. And HE paid for that power chair. It does not belong to the home. All the while the old veteran was practically crying.
He did not want her creating any waves, as he feared the staff would take it out on him.
This is the kind of abuse that our veterans are having to put up with. The poor guy doesn't trust the doctors and lives in fear of the staff taking his property away because he doesn't want to take drugs that are making his life miserable. And the wife cannot do much as the home used the courts to impose a guardian on him. Now a State Ordered guardian has control over this man, this Veteran. The wife has some say, and a little control over her husband's life.
This is one of several veteran families I have been talking to lately as part of my investigation into the Home's usage of Guardians to abuse veterans and terrorize their families. And what I am learning will shake you to your boots with anger. My investigation report when finished, will be turned over to Federal and State prosecutors for further action.
And I bet that idiot Earnest Meyers, Chairman of the Board of Managers, who claims he runs the place, doesn't even know this kind of thing is happening.
UPDATE: I just got a call from my friends wife.
She asked me to put the following into this post.
"Joe, we got back to the Home and I signed him back in and the med nurse was sitting behind the desk. I told her about the spastic movement in his upper extremities. She knew about it as she witnessed it a couple of days ago.
"We aren't allowed to chart things as I am only the med nurse"
OMFG.. Don't those people know how to leave a message for a REAL nurse then, or are they really that incompetent or a combination of both?!!
THIS is the kind of care giving our Veterans are getting, folks!
How DARE they treat our guys like this?
Tonight folks,I was invited to dinner with a veteran from the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, and his wife. We went to a nice restaurant on Plainfield Avenue and had a very good meal. It was after that, during our casual conversation that I saw something that shook me to my very soul.
Now let me tell you before I go into the details that Angry who owns this blog, told me I can only post the truth. Well this is as true as it gets.
We were talking about the local news in General. About Art Prize, and the new blue lights on the pedestrian bridge over the Grand River, when this veteran had a spasm. His wife asked him how long they had been going on. He said several months. His wife asked him if he had told the doctors.
And that is when it started. You could see the FEAR in his eyes. He said no, as he was holding back tears. He said he wouldn't trust a DOG to those doctors at the home. That angered his wife who said she was going to look into it as soon as she got him back to the home.
He begged her not to. When asked why, he replied because they would take away his power wheel chair. Then she told me that they had put a notice on his chair that if he refused to take all the medication they said he had to take, they would take away his power chair. And HE paid for that power chair. It does not belong to the home. All the while the old veteran was practically crying.
He did not want her creating any waves, as he feared the staff would take it out on him.
This is the kind of abuse that our veterans are having to put up with. The poor guy doesn't trust the doctors and lives in fear of the staff taking his property away because he doesn't want to take drugs that are making his life miserable. And the wife cannot do much as the home used the courts to impose a guardian on him. Now a State Ordered guardian has control over this man, this Veteran. The wife has some say, and a little control over her husband's life.
This is one of several veteran families I have been talking to lately as part of my investigation into the Home's usage of Guardians to abuse veterans and terrorize their families. And what I am learning will shake you to your boots with anger. My investigation report when finished, will be turned over to Federal and State prosecutors for further action.
And I bet that idiot Earnest Meyers, Chairman of the Board of Managers, who claims he runs the place, doesn't even know this kind of thing is happening.
UPDATE: I just got a call from my friends wife.
She asked me to put the following into this post.
"Joe, we got back to the Home and I signed him back in and the med nurse was sitting behind the desk. I told her about the spastic movement in his upper extremities. She knew about it as she witnessed it a couple of days ago.
I asked her if she charted it and she said and this is a quote
"We aren't allowed to chart things as I am only the med nurse"
OMFG.. Don't those people know how to leave a message for a REAL nurse then, or are they really that incompetent or a combination of both?!!
THIS is the kind of care giving our Veterans are getting, folks!
Early Halloween? Zombies spoted at the Grand Rapids home for Veterans.
Must be Halloween early at the Veterans home according to Liz. She says shes seeing a lot of zombies walking around at the home.. Ooops. On closer look its not zombies, its OVER DRUGGED VETERANS.
That is right folks, The home still does not have a qualified Psychiatrist on staff, but SOMEONE is prescribing some heavy duty physic medications to Veterans. This can leave them in a zombie like state as they move around the home. Liz told her father is one of them. He didn't even know who she was when she went to visit him last week. She took a list of his medications to a family doctor and expect to be contacting the home about it soon.
David J, emailed me saying his dad also seems a bit drugged up and is looking into it.
Someone needs to tell Sara Dunn that Halloween isn't until the end of the month, and that over drugging veterans can be seen as a criminal act.
That is right folks, The home still does not have a qualified Psychiatrist on staff, but SOMEONE is prescribing some heavy duty physic medications to Veterans. This can leave them in a zombie like state as they move around the home. Liz told her father is one of them. He didn't even know who she was when she went to visit him last week. She took a list of his medications to a family doctor and expect to be contacting the home about it soon.
David J, emailed me saying his dad also seems a bit drugged up and is looking into it.
Someone needs to tell Sara Dunn that Halloween isn't until the end of the month, and that over drugging veterans can be seen as a criminal act.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Grand Rapids is NOT the only Veterans Home wasting money!
California Vets home wasting taxpayers money too!
Yes, California, you have an unqualified Bellview Genius running one of your veterans home, just like we have in Michigan.
Way to go! Now this club has 2 members!
Yes, California, you have an unqualified Bellview Genius running one of your veterans home, just like we have in Michigan.
Way to go! Now this club has 2 members!
Grand Haven paper calls for Investigation of Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
First, an update: We are still working on the interview with Greg M. This will be published soon.
Second, the Grand Haven Tribune has posted an article calling for the investigation of the Veterans Home in Grand Rapids. This editorial was made by several staff members.
The Grand Rapids metro area Media is reluctant to cover serious issues at the home, so when these other places report on it, we try to inform them as much as possible about the home and what is really going on here.
It is an interesting read, and some good comments too.
Second, the Grand Haven Tribune has posted an article calling for the investigation of the Veterans Home in Grand Rapids. This editorial was made by several staff members.
The Grand Rapids metro area Media is reluctant to cover serious issues at the home, so when these other places report on it, we try to inform them as much as possible about the home and what is really going on here.
It is an interesting read, and some good comments too.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Comming soon: Interview with Greg M.
Well, hes agreed to it. Greg is coming over Wednesday night and I am going to interview him for this blog. He says hes got a beef he wants to air out.. Stay tuned folks!
Michigan laws that cover the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.
Laws covering the Michigan Veterans home
WOW, what a great bunch of information.. I should have looked this up months ago.
Well here it is folks. Now lets take a look at it in a bit more detail.
This Michigan Compiled laws, annotated.
AN ACT to authorize the establishment of facilities for former members of the armed forces of the United States in the state of Michigan; to create funds; and to provide for the promulgation of rules.
History: 1885, Act 152, Imd. Eff. June 5, 1885 ;-- Am. 1952, Act 123, Eff. Sept. 18, 1952 ;-- Am. 1958, Act 142, Imd. Eff. Apr. 18, 1958 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 391, Eff. Mar. 30, 1983
Compiler's Notes: For transfer of powers and duties of the State Veterans' Facilities of Michigan and the Board of Managers from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Military Affairs, see E.R.O. No. 1991-7, compiled at MCL 36.71 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.
Act 152 of 1885
36.2a Michigan veterans' facility; general supervision and government by board of managers; membership; qualifications; appointment; terms; oath of office; removal; compensation; vacancy; definitions.Sec. 2a.
(1) The general supervision and government of the Michigan veterans' facility is vested in a board of managers consisting of 7 members. Each member shall have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and experience in public health, business, or finance. Members shall be appointed as follows:
(a) One representative of the American legion.
(b) One representative of the veterans of foreign wars of the United States.
(c) One representative of the disabled American veterans.
(d) One representative of any other congressionally chartered veterans' organization other than those organizations identified in subdivision (a), (b), or (c).
(e) Three members who are veterans, who may or may not be a member of 1 or more congressionally chartered veterans' organizations, but shall not represent any congressionally chartered veterans' organization of which they are a member.
(2) The members shall be appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the senate. Each member shall hold office for the term of 3 years from the time of his or her appointment and shall continue to hold office at the pleasure of the governor. The members enumerated in subsection (1)(a), (b), (c), and (d) shall be appointed by the governor from the original list of at least 3 individuals recommended by each respective organization.
(3) Each member of the board shall qualify by taking and filing the constitutional oath of office.
(4) The governor may remove any member of the board for misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, after hearing. Missing 3 or more consecutive meetings shall be considered malfeasance and is grounds for removal.
(5) Members of the board shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending scheduled meetings of the board of managers in accordance with the accounting laws of this state.
(6) If a vacancy occurs during the term of office of a member of the board of managers, the member's successor shall be selected from the same organization and in the same manner as the original appointment for the balance of the unexpired term.
(7) As used in this act:
(a) "Board" means the board of managers of the Michigan veterans' facility created in this section.
(b) "Veteran" means an honorably discharged member of the armed forces of the United States.
History: Add. 2011, Act 283, Eff. Jan. 1, 2012
36.8 Board of managers; meetings; preparation, review, and revision of system of government.
Sec. 8.
The board of managers shall meet not less than once every 3 months. The board of managers shall prepare, review, and revise a system of government for the homes, which shall include all rules, regulations, and laws necessary for effective management and preserving the health of the disabled veterans admitted to the home.
History: 1885, Act 152, Imd. Eff. June 5, 1885 ;-- How. 1984h ;-- CL 1897, 2059 ;-- CL 1915, 1671 ;-- CL 1929, 786 ;-- CL 1948, 36.8 ;-- Am. 2011, Act 283, Eff. Jan. 1, 2012
Compiler's Notes: For transfer of powers and duties of the State Veterans' Facilities of Michigan and the Board of Managers from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Military Affairs, see E.R.O. No. 1991-7, compiled at MCL 36.71 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.
Anyone see anything here, that suggest that the Board of managers has the right to dictate policy to NON member veterans who are NOT at the home? I do not.
On the contrary, the law is specific in that it is clear that the board of managers take a constitutional oath to uphold our state laws, and that includes the right to due process for which is has REFUSED to grant to any number of veterans in the past.
Time to look up the law yourselves and stand up for your rights.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
No wonder they are afraid of this Blog.
Grand Rapids Home for Veterans
-- Site Summary ---
Visits
Total ........................ 6,090
Average per Day ................. 16
Average Visit Length .......... 1:41
This Week ...................... 115
Page Views
Total ....................... 10,818
Average per Day ................. 26
Average per Visit .............. 1.6
This Week ...................... 185
THIS is why the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and the Board
of managers are afraid of this blog. THIS is what they fear.
People becoming aware of their abuses to veterans and the way
the home wastes taxpayer dollars.
They should be quaking in their shoes.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Veterans Home Board of Managers continues to abuse this Navy Veterans rights.
They must think a 365 lb severely over weight, cardiac patient who can't even walk from Kozy corners to the main dining hall without wheezing is a major threat to people.
I can't wait till he gets hauled into court and has to tell a judge why this incident has gone on so long. And then watch the judge berate him for being so petty.
Here is what the board has sent Greg M. (Thanks for sending to me Greg).
The GRH4V member handbook (2010 edition approved, not the 2012 edition), Says a discharged veteran can seek the assistance of an attorney.
Now it seems Earnest Meyers is angry that Greg M did just that! And took the attorneys advice over the directions of the board of managers. Thus setting this up for a legal battle.
The attorney stated, that the member handbook applies to members. And that since Greg was no longer a member, it no longer applied.
When Greg started returning to the home, no one objected.. head of security knew and talked to him. So did the main security person who originally wrote him up. If he is such a threat, why didn't they object?
They even said they had no problem with him being there as he was behaving himself, and helping his fellow veterans.. Only Earnest Meyers seems to be the one who has objected.
All this, because Greg got angry and lost his temper, and instead of screaming at the top of his lungs at one or more staff, he did it in writing, based on the fact he thought the home was indicating that they intended to steal his car because he could not park it in the designated member parking area, because the areas were filled with EMPLOYEE Cars.
Dammed if he did, dammed if he did not. Catch 22. And they refused him any due process. This was his first offense and they kicked him out perminantly, dishonorably and have tried to keep him off the property.
He took the advice of a lawyer per their own handbook and now Meyers is all in a flutter about it.
Why? Why is this guy such a threat to them? I will now say why for the 2nd time.. Because they think he writes this blog. And if they ever admitted to it, they would be in direct violation of the law and know they could get into big trouble for doing so.
Greg needs a GOOD attorney, if interested drop us a comment and I will pass it on to him.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Million Veteran March planned for WDC on Nov 2nd, 2013.
https://www.facebook.com/millionveteranmarch
Veterans from all over the USA are encourged to attend the million Veteran march in WDC, to remind the US government that this country belongs to US.
I would like to go, but do not have the funding to drive my own car, so if anyone is planning on going, who needs an extra driver, I am available, just drop me a comment with info on how to contact you.. we can do a straight drive thru if we take shifts driving.
Estimated 12 hour one way trip..
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