Christmas day antics by family member jeopardizes status of veteran at Vets home.

OK By now everyone knows of the happenings at the home, on Christmas Day, at lunch time.

A family member of one of the veterans did not like the homes policy of requiring ID and a proper colored stripe on that ID for a member veteran to be able to eat in the main Dining hall, due to medical concerns for the member Veterans.

Apparently this Family member went off the deep end, and acted in a very immature way by throwing a fit where he used very foul language in front of other members families and children.

Several Families complained to the administration.

Now this individuals actions have had repercussions on HIS family member that is a veteran living at the home. Apparently the administration has put the Veteran on notice, that if such an incident happens again, the veteran will be discharged. The Veteran has no where else to go.  He is in effect, being punished with Guilt by association. And that just isn't right.

And that is the sad part, because the Veteran told his family member to forget it, but the family member went and threw a fit anyways.

Now the Veteran has been put on final notice. And the Family member whose name is not mentioned here, has alienated several friends over this issue, because the friends are standing with the Vets Home on this issue, and not with the Family member who is clearly in the wrong.

We do not even know if the family member knows that a simple phone call was made, and that it was the results of that phone call, that ultimately allowed the veteran member to have a meal in the main dining hall.


The Home has a right to restrict where veterans have their meals, due to special dietary needs. And they have the right to require veterans to prove their status before eating in the main dining hall where no special preparations are made.

And Veterans should have the right not to be put on notice for actions beyond their control by a family member.  In this case, perhaps the family member should be banned from the property. 

Either way the Administration of the home has a duty to protect the veterans in its charge, and this includes possible food problems. That is why the colored strip on the ID Card, and the ID Card Check person, who sits at the head of the chow line, policies were implemented. To protect veterans.

And no one, Adult, child, or veteran should have to stand and watch a grown adult throw a childish  fit because they disagree with the Homes policy. If that is how they feel, they should remove their veteran, or take the issue up with the board of managers, not that they have a clue of whats going on at the home, but they are part of the administration.



 

On Jun15th, 2014 this article was asked to be pulled by one of the members.
On June 16th, 2014 one of the former members family members asked me to repost it.

It is my decision, therefore to repost it. For additional reasons not stated here.

Main Dining hall Policy at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans - ID cards are for Safety.

The intention of this Blog is in telling the outside what is going on at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Although many articles reflect negativity, this one doesn't. In all fairness, this needs to be reported as well. An incident happened at the Home on Christmas and I think it needs to be brought to the attention of our many readers. Before I get into the details, let me update you on what the policy is. 

All the veterans have an ID. On that ID, is a colored stripe. If you have a green stripe, that means you can eat in the Dining Hall and are able to enjoy all the food that is served down there. If you are a diabetic, you might have another colored stripe meaning that your food has to be specially prepared because of your health issues. A veteran with cardiac issues will have another colored stripe meaning that they are also on a special diet. Those veterans that are on a special diet, with a colored stripe other than green, enjoy their meals in the small dining area on their floor. There have been swallowing studies done on many of the veterans to determine if they can drink liquids or if thickening agents need to be added to it to stop the veteran from choking. The Home takes this very serious and they are commendable in their efforts.

Outside the Dining Hall, there are people in place to verify that those who eat in the Dining Hall are allowed to. The Administration is using veterans as "checkers" and these veterans are compensated in a small way for doing this job. In my opinion, an excellent policy.

Apparently, there was an issue regarding a veteran who wanted to eat in the Dining Hall with their family member. Unfortunately, the veteran had lost their identification which would have had a green stripe on it. This green stripe means that the veteran is on a general diet and can eat whatever he chooses. Member Wayne Brooks was on duty as the checker at this time and he denied the veteran access to the dining hall. WAYNE DID HIS JOB!

Unfortunately, the family member created quite a scene when they were denied access to the Dining Hall. Security had to be called as well. How unfortunate that family members of other veterans eating in the Dining Hall had to witness this foolishness. It was totally unnecessary and the family member was wrong in causing such a ruckus. This family member was not aware that a phone call was made to the head nurse on the veteran's floor and she granted approval for this veteran to eat in the dining hall as the veteran was on a general diet. I have it on authority that the family member feels that they won the battle when in reality, they lost the battle and made a fool out of themselves and brought negative attention to the veteran.

The stripe on the veterans ID card is for their safety. It is not in any way a violation of their rights. As a resident of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, the staff at the home has the legal obligation to protect their residents. This color stripe is one way they can do this. It has been said that this coding is another way the residents are treated like inmates. I am told this is also the way patients in a mental institution get their meals. It is not up to family members of a resident to go against medical instructions for a resident at the Home. If family members choose to overturn a rule that has been set up for a resident by the medical staff, then perhaps they should be taking care of the veteran at their home. This applies in particular to the family member previously mentioned.

Now. With any policy, there can be problems. I am told that there are only three checkers that are compensated for taking the time to insure that all veterans are kept safe. Unfortunately, there is only one who is showing consistency. For Wayne Brooks, his determination in supporting this policy is commendable and I want to take this opportunity to tell Wayne, "Job well done." For those who can't seem to follow the rules, perhaps they need to be replaced by a veteran who can. I am sure that the Administration will put in place, veterans who can adhere to the policy set forth by them to protect every veteran at the Home.

Update: I'm getting a lot of flack for this posting. I remind the readers, this blog is about the TRUTH of what is happening at the Michigan Veterans Home in Grand Rapids Michigan.   The author(s) of this blog stand for the truth, they will stand with the veterans and  they will stand with the Administration when IT is correct. And in this case, The Administration was CORRECT.  Therefore the Authors stand with the Staff of the home on this issue.

Merry Christmas Veterans and staff at the Grand Rapids Home(?) For Veterans!

I could slap myself for this.. Just realized I hadn't published it yet.. Thought I did yesterday..
Its been sitting here for a week, waiting to be published.

But better late than never!


Just wanted to wish all my fellow veterans at the Michigan Veterans home(?) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a Merry Christmas..


Also extending Happy Holidays to staff members, one and all including but not limited to:


Sara Dunne, - Top Administrator
Gary Davis - Social Services Director
Earnest Meyers - Chairman, Board of managers.
Tiffany Carr - Activities director, and spokes person for the home
James Dunn, Chief of Staff, Michigan Veterans Affairs.

Happy Holidays and drive safely, Bring 'em back alive, as AAA would say.

Without you guys, we wouldn't have anything to write about!  

Dining Hall woes at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. - article Pulled by request.

This article has been removed due to personal request.

What a CON job Ed, sheesh, have you no morals?

Mlive dot com has an article about a group of people who came to the veterans home and gave gifts today..

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/12/military_wishes_2013_see_how_w.html

Ed Maciejewski, a resident, supposedly asked for a lap top. I about died laughing when I read the following:
" Ed also asked for a computer to pursue a career in information technology. He served as a mechanic in the Gulf War, but said computers have always been his calling.
"Getting back into the IT field has proven to be difficult, but I'm going to keep trying," he said.
Ed was also surprised by having his request met.
"It means a lot, especially because you sometimes think you've been forgotten when you're in a place like this," he said. "It definitely makes you appreciate things a bit more, especially during the holidays."


OMG Ed.. 

 This shows Ed in his scooter..

This is The way his scooter looks.. like a homeless person's bag cart..

The funny thing is, ED can walk. He walks from the dorm unit, to the Member partking area, to use his moms car, (that he uses quite regularly).

It blows my mind to see it reported that ed wants to go into IT.

Information Technology.








"Computers are his calling", BWAHHHAHAH.. 
I call that BULL SH*T!

Why? Because when computers and the internet were available to the Dorm unit members (in 2010, 2011, 2012 and part of 2013), Ed rarely used the computers located at various locations on Rankin 2 and 3.

Remember Greg M.? The guy who got kicked out of the home and now cannot even set foot on the property? He is a computer expert, and twice offered basic computer classes. Ed never showed up to any of them. Greg also repaired several members computers while he was there.

Greg even taught Activities Director for Dom unit, Dianna Knoll, how to use MS word templates to make resumes. Yet Ed never asked him for any help or any information.  Why?

So a guy who had access to resources to help him learn about IT, never took advantage of them. Yet now he uses it as a claim to get a laptop..  Shame on you Ed.. What a con job..

And Bravo to the volunteers who raised the money to get you that laptop. Their heart was in the right place, so I give them credit where its due.. But knowing you and how you treat your fellow veterans, man, I gotta say where are your morals? 

 Want to prove me wrong? We will see if you bother asking Greg for help, when he returns to the home next year after his court hearing.  I know he will help you, if you ask. But I am betting you won't bother.

And yes I can publish your name and pic's. They are public information posted on Mlive.
So you can stop your whining now.

-Joe.

Scarry Sherry, here's your 15 minutes of fame!

Laughing my A$$ off on this one guys and gals.  This one is right out of the tabloids at checkout counter.

I just got off the phone with the wife of a veteran at the home who before this, has never called me. She gave me a very interesting report.  And its about Sherry, the staff member who is in charge of wheel chairs and Power Chairs.

Heck, for all I know I have her name spelled wrong and her title wrong as well, but I think those who know the home, know who I am about to talk about.

Sherry is the disabled lady that has her own power chair, and is seen daily scooting thru the halls of the home, usually with a wheel chair or another power chair or another veteran in a power chair or scooter, in tow.  This is the gal with a straight forward attitude and a no nonsense approach to her job, and she does it quite well. And that is why the guys call her scary sherry. She doesn't give them any slack. They either do it correctly or they don't qualify for a power scooter or chair.


Rumor has it she will be retiring at the end of this year. The home won't be the same..Sherry is one of those people who give the home its GOOD character. And although I had limited contact with her, I for one will miss seeing her zipping thru the halls.   That is why I am a bit confused with the report I just got.

So, this wife of this veteran calls me for the first time and asks flat out if I am the one who does the blog. Well of course its me.. who else would it be?  Anyone with half a brain who knows me, knows I do this.

So she tells me this: Recently at a department head meeting, Sherry speaks up about this blog, and some how as made a determination, that since the blog started about the time Richard Ware came to the home, it must be his wife, Cheryel that is doing the blog.. HAHA, Now, how Sherry came to that conclusion, I have no idea. In fact, I have no idea if she even came to that conclusion and this report is totally bogus (false).  But I find it hilarious that this is being reported to me. 

And the Final Jeopardy answer is: Cheryel Ware. The winning question is: Who is NOT running the GRH4V blog?

The fact is Cheryel has contributed a few items. So have several other people.  And its strange that not one staff member has contributed a thing to this blog. Yet the door remains open, despite the other rumor going around that the home's administration is trying to find a legal way to hold the author(s) of this blog, accountable for slander.  It's not going to happen due to the information on the front page.  It's called FREEDOM OF SPEECH.. and the door was left open for any corrections.. and the silence from the home, means everything posted here is probably correct.  Our bases are covered.

Christmas Wish list

Angry's wish: For the veterans to finally get their smoking room exemption.

Joe's wish: For the duck pond to be dredged, the bridge rebuilt and the fishing doc to be rebuilt and expanded for the fishing derby's held for the veterans.

Greg Mac's wish: To be able to come to visit friends and participate in Guitars for Veterans without threat of arrest for trespassing.

Bill G.'s wish: For the board of managers to remove their heads from their tails and see what is really going on at the home.

Fred L.'s wish: For the kitchen to start making some real food for the guys.

Cheryl W.'s wish: (unknown).

Kevin W.'s wish: For the state congress to finally investigate the home, and come and talk to the vets without staff being present, so that the guys can feel safe talking to them.

Steve T.'s Wish: For the veterans to finally get their independent ombudsman, one that does not sit on the board of managers.




More wishes will be posted as we become aware of them.
Updated 23 Dec 8:30pm

How to file a complaint about Veterans Administration healthcare.

Instructions

1. Write a Complaint

   • Write a complaint. Include your name, address and telephone number. If you are filing on behalf of a veteran, widow, widower or dependent, include your personal information as well and how you are related to the complainant.
     
   • Clearly describe the complaint. Include as many details as possible, including how access to services or benefits was denied and information about who was involved, such as the location of the hospital, the VA organization responsible or any other standard that was not met.
     
   • Provide a description that lays out the severity of the complainant's disability or need for benefits and the review of the case.
     
   • Send your written complaint against the Department of Veterans Affairs to Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20420.
     

   Patient Health Care Dispute

   • Go to a Patient Advocate at your local VA health care facility.
     
   • Describe the quality of care that you received and discuss any special needs or problems that you have.
     
   • Request a review of your case and follow up with the medical center staff for resolution to your claim regarding care received through the VA.
     
   • Contact the Board of Veteran's Appeals if you are dissatisfied with the assistance provided by the medical center.
     
   • Write a letter with your personal contact information and explain the provider's decision to not provide a specific route of care or treatment. Send the letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Board of Veterans Appeals, 810 West Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20420.
     

   Call the VAOIG Hotline

   • Call the Department of Veterans Affairs OIG Hotline at 1-800-488-8233 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The hotline accepts calls to discuss employee misconduct, patient abuse, safety violations, theft from VA beneficiaries, misuse of government property, false claims, problems with VA programs or operations and gross waste of funds.
     
   • Supply information on which VA facility was involved, the identity of the wrongdoer, what policy was violated, the effect of the wrongdoing, the date of the events, the identity of those who witnessed the event, copies of relevant documents and whether anyone has reviewed the allegation.
     
   • Provide an address and telephone number of the complainant unless you wish to remain anonymous.
     
     
     
     
     

New Round of Winter related Deaths for veterans at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans?

In 2010, a large number of veterans died due to pneumonia and other weather related deaths. However the Veterans home marked it up as death by smoking.  Nice spin, but still not the truth.

The fact is the home was never given a smoking exemption, as promised by politicians for the veterans who lived at the home.  This forced the veterans out side. And despite there being a "designated smoking tent" put up, there was NO heat in it, because the powers that be dragged their feet, and the heaters sat on a doc for 2 months before being installed by the people who donated them. And then, the gas was not turned on until summer..

See related story here 56 Veterans Die without heat in smoking area.    

Now once again, the veterans are facing having to go out in the cold. Not because there is no heat in the smoking tent.. but because the doors that give access to it, are locked at 10 pm.

This is the smoking tent, located on the east side of the pavilion on Kozy Corners. The set of double doors leading into Kozy Corners are locked for the winter, and the 2nd set of doors that give access to the hall way, are locked at 10pm, and reopened at 6am according to what the veterans are telling me.

Now to get this into perspective, look at the map of the home.

It is being reported that at night, the guys have to go out the main Entrance, move down about 300 feet down a snow covered slippery sidewalk, and into a building with no heat, but does protect them from the wind. Oh, John told me they have a small electric heater out there, but it doesn't come close to warming the place.

Then, when the veteran is ready, he has to go back to the main entrance and push a buzzer to get someone to let him in. 

This is INSANE. These guys should never have to go outside in this frigged weather.

This is going to lead to another round of weather related deaths that the home will spin off as smoking related, instead of the real reason: Exposure.

Major Blunder by Vets Home Staff Doctor, Causes Grief for Family members at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

We are getting reports of a Major mistake being made by State Appointed Guardian has directly caused a lot of pain and grief on a veteran and his family members by deciding that he was about to die.

Reports are that this veteran went to a  care conference on Monday Dec 2,2013 and was asked about what he wanted to do for end of life decisions.  Apparently Mrs Cynthia Thornbury, who only holds a 2 year sociology degree, made a decision that the veterans MS was in final stages and that he should make plans for the end of this life.

Just one problem. MS has no stages. You do not die from MS.

The family was extremely distraught over this news, and only the next day after consulting with trained medical professionals did they hear the truth - that the veteran is NOT any where near death.

The wife of this veteran reports that his doctor told her that what the guardian did, was cause more damage to the veteran in 45 minutes, than a years worth of medical issues. And to be on the safe side, he has decided to start from scratch with the veteran, having him re-evaluated as if he had never been evaluated at all.

Mrs. Thornbury has no medical training. She should loose her license over this issue, for the pain and suffering she has caused this veteran and his family.

Dec 7, 2013 UPDATE: We received INCORRECT information.  Cynthia Thornbury did NOT repeat, NOT make this decision. IT was discovered that it was Doctor BATES, one of the veterans home's doctors that made the decision that the veteran was in final stages of MS.  

More as it becomes available.

Grand Rapids Veterans Home: The Home is Euthanizing My Husband, Helping Richard Ware.

To all who care about Veterans
At 2:00 this afternoon, Richard and I attended his care conference. This is done quarterly for all residents of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. On my way to the Home, I spoke on the phone with my husband and I asked him if he was ready for it. He told me he was scared as he didn't know what his guardian, Cynthia Thornbury, was going to do to him next. I don't know what kind of fortitude my husband has but every day, he lives in fear of reprisal and further deterioration of his self esteem and spirit by either this woman or the Home.

Ms. Thornbury hit a new low today as she was joined by other members of the care conference brigade. They had questions for my husband. Basically, they wanted to know what steps my husband wanted to take to prolong his existence. Do they insert an airway, a feeding tube? Do they do CPR? Do they call an ambulance? What were his wishes? They even asked if he would consent to having Hospice involved.

Neither one of us were prepared for these insane questions and Richard didn't have a clue on how to answer them. I know when I have to make those decisions, they will be made with my family around me. That wasn't the case today. They wanted an answer that minute.

Now, I need you to understand something here. In my husband's opinion, as well as mine, HE ISN'T DYING! At least, God willing, not any time soon. Nobody has said anything to him about this. Cynthia went on to inform my husband and I that he is in the final stage of the MS. WHAT STAGE? MS isn't like cancer where it has stages. It isn't that way at all. Cynthia has her BA is Sociology. She is NOT a doctor. There wasn't a doctor at the meeting. There were 3 nurses, one social worker and one nutritionist in attendance along with my husband and myself.

I was very impressed with the nutritionist. Richard has dropped down to 135 pounds. He is extremely thin and emaciated. She is going to start a special plan with Richard where he will be eating every two hours. I know this is going to help him a great deal. When I had him home for Thanksgiving, he ate two huge ham sandwiches two hours before eating a large plate filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and whatever else he wanted. He topped that off with a very large piece of homemade pumpkin pie and Cool Whip. The man can eat.

On Thanksgiving, our youngest son went to pick up his dad to bring him home for the day. Michael signed him out which is something I usually do when I go and get him. There is always a small envelope filled with his medication for the day that comes with him. That wasn't the case last Thursday. Richard informed me that he wasn't given his meds that morning either. You won't believe their justification for this. Cynthia looked towards the nurse who had all the records and she reported that Richard hadn't asked for them. Cynthia scolded Richard for not being medically responsible. Why would Richard willingly ask for drugs that turn him into a zombie? He is forced to take behavior modification meds. that turn him into a walking rock. These drugs have a drastic impact on him and his ability to be a man, not to mention being human.

Shortly after I left Richard to head home, a man from Hospice came to talk to him. They just chatted about nothing for a short time. It was more like a get acquainted time. This man is suppose to return on Friday. Richard wants nothing to do with him and has asked me how to handle this. I gave him a few suggestions and I hope he does none of them. In reality, we have time to figure this out as a family.

Bottom line is this. Dr. Bruce Vermeer, a well known doctor in the Grand Rapids area wrote a letter a few years ago stating that Richard would thrive and do best in a structured health care facility. Well. he isn't thriving and according to his guardian, he is on death's door. In the past 3 years, Richard has had pneumonia and has been hospitalized 9 times. Definitely, NOT THRIVING. He recently got out of the hospital for a bad intestinal infection. That comes from poor nutrition and germs. Again, NOT THRIVING. What am I getting to is this; THE HOME IS KILLING MY HUSBAND.. How can I stop this?

 If you can help, please contact me at CWare9155@aol.com.

THIS is what they do to kill off veterans at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Both of us have posted about Richard Ware, a Navy veteran who is incarcerated against his will at the Michigan Veterans home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Over the years I have heard many things about this mans battle. Some of which are:

Now I just got word that Richard has been labeled by the home as a veteran who is about to die.
At a care conference today, his social worker who demanded the state appoint a guardian over him, didn't even attend his conference.

The conference was about his last days, and how he wanted the home to treat him. 

Richard went to the home due to drinking problems. The social worker demanded he be given a guardian, and Michigan family court Judge David Murkowski  ignored Richards wife's power of attorney, and stripped her of that power without a hearing of any kind.

State guardian Cynthia Thornbury was then appointed guardian. During the next few years, Thornbury and Murkowski, have destroyed this man.

Thornbury sold Richards car. The proceeds are not accounted for.
Thornbury then spent thousands of dollars of Richards money to pay for an attorney for a divorce that Richard did not want. In the end, he did not get the divorce.

Thornbury let Richards ID be stolen twice since she became his guardian. ONE such case was tracked back to the head of Safety at the home, Gerald Thomas who reportedly bought a cell phone using Richards social security number. 

Thornbury refused to allow Richard Wife to have contact with him for over a year and got a court order to back her up. Thornbury destroyed Richards family.

During an attempt to regain control over her husbands future, Mrs. Ware was arrested and put in jail by Judge Murkowski, and her lawyer fined for doing his job and now refuses to talk to Mrs. Ware. Mrs.Ware was given a no contact order and due to the order, Richard was not allowed to go to his Son's Graduation from Bible College because his wife was there.  Mrs. Ware was kept away from her husband for over a year.

Richard Ware originally went to the home due to alcohol addiction problems. He stopped drinking, then his MS kicked in. The guardian refused to let him leave the home. This angered Richard, and they started drugging him with drugs that only a qualified  psychiatrist  should be overseeing. But the veterans home has been in violation of Federal laws for nearly 5 years by not having proper psychiatric staff on campus and available. 

Due to the over drugging, Richard could not perform his physical therapy needed for his legs. The stress put on his body, by the long term exposure to unnecessary drugs and stress from the home not cooperating with Richard has lead him to this point where he is considered to be at deaths door by the home.  He has withered away, from 200 lbs down to 135. They will blame his smoking for his death, not the neglect and abuse of the powerful drugs they forced him to take against his will.

If this man dies within the next 60 days, I sincerly hope Mrs. Ware can find a lawyer that is hungry enough to go after Michigan Judge Murkowski, Guardian Thornbury, and social worker Karen Fugi,
and put them all in jail for violating this mans rights. 

Some kind of intervention must be done to save this man's life.  Please help if you can.

Update: Thornbury Screws up BIG TIME!  Life of Veteran is NOT in danger. Seems Thornbury made the decision to tell him he was about to die, but he is not dying. More on this later.

Nasty rumor of private meeting of family members, not open to the public.

I just got a very very disturbing phone call, and the subject of the discussion is now being investigated.

A friend of mine of who thought I knew his dad was at the home, told me that his step mom was talking to him today about his dad. And that his mom mentioned that she was invited to a special private meeting, where they were told that a small handful of trouble makers were upsetting the balance of nature at the home. That they were responsible for the change in the care givers. And that family members were advised to ignore them.

Now a number of questions come to mind.

1. When did this meeting happen, and who held it?
2. Why was this meeting PRIVATE if it concerned the home?
3. Who at the home, hosted the meeting?
4. Who are the "small hand full of trouble makers" the home referred to?

It is fact that the privatization of the care givers has been an ongoing battle to save the state money while maintaining high standards of care giving. And the fact is you get what you pay for. And since they are paying less, they get less; it really isn't surprising that people are complaining.

Second, the Union is still in this fight.

The group who reports things about the home here and on Facebook, (yes we have a face book page now)  could be seen as the group..

Just hard to say who they mean.. but the most troubling part of this is the idea that the home held a secret meeting, open only to a select few members of families with veterans at the home.

We are going to look into this, and update you as soon as we can.

In the mean time, look for us on Facebook under Grand Rapids Home For Veterans Blog #2.
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