State Democrats calling for investigation of quality of care for veterans.

After being escorted out of the building last Friday, Michigan 76th district congressional representative Winnie Brinks and 3 others held a press conference across the street from the veterans home, on the lawn of Riverside park.

The democrats are calling for an investigation of the quality of care being given to the veterans.
Quality of care is more than just workers helping veterans. Quality of care for all veterans includes the over all mental and physical well being of the veteran and includes the living conditions the veterans have to endure every day.

The over all quality of care has changed over the last year, due to  the state privatizing the health care givers group of workers who work in the nursing units helping the nursing staff provide proper care for veterans. These people are the ones that change diapers, give baths and showers to veterans, help disabled veterans get dressed, and move them from their beds, to their power wheel chairs. They take them (move them) to various locations thru out the home. And they help feed them when necessary, amongst other jobs.

Problems were going to happen, due to change over. Problems were expected. However, how those problems are being handled is why there is a call for an investigation.

Senior Military staff from the Michigan Department of Veterans affairs office, came to the home and held special meetings with both staff and members and told us all, that the J2S workers would be held to the highest standard.

Its the holding to that higher standard that is now being questioned, and why they are calling for an investigation.

This is not about union verses non union workers, although the union representing the dismissed health care workers is involved in calling for the investigation.  The union still represents care givers at the other Michigan veterans facility located in the Upper Peninsula, at Marquette Michigan.

The call for the investigation needs to go deeper than just quality of care being given by the J2S workers, and to determine if that higher standard, is being imposed.

An over all investigation of the administration of the home needs to be executed by an independant auditing firm, who should look at a number of items. Items such as cost of care at the home verses a similar private retirement/hospital community. Items such as what percentage of the issues raised by veterans are being properly addressed. Items such as the high discharge of veterans for what ever reasons. Items such as are veterans being charged for services they are not getting, and is the fee for the services they are, comparable to those in the private sector. This is for both Nursing and Dormitory units.

An over all investigation as to the status of the Dormitory unit, its function, its costs, should also be made. Is the home meeting the needs of those veterans who end up in Dorm unit? Or is the home just using them as a source of revenue?

The Administrator of the Veterans Home, Sara Dunne, whose last job was the head of the Kitchens before being promoted to the top administrator job after she was given time to obtain her necessary college degree, has stated that the home is dealing with the problems that are occurring.  If so does she give the impression that she is she afraid when members of the state congress show up unannounced to talk to veterans?

And why was 76th district Representative Winnie Brinks escorted out of the building after talking to one member in private, without any staff present?  What is Sara Dunne and her staff hiding? The actions of that day give the impression that the homes administration have something to hide from the state congress.

Either way you look at it, there is a need for a further, more in depth look at what is happening at the veterans home, and how it effects the veterans, as well as Michigan tax payers.