GRH4V Board of Managers, Setting the example of double standard at the home?

I've taken 6 contacts about this in the last month. I cannot confirm it at this time. I need confirmation if any one can, please drop us a comment. All comments are private until I screen them and decide to post them. All comments get posted unless they are spam, or contain foul words, or the writer asks me not to.

I am being told that the Board of Mangers has a set of rules that they are supposed to go by, that governs them.  One of these rules is about a manager whose time on the board has expired, but for whom a replacement has not yet been assigned. Under this rule, the existing outgoing manager is to stay active on the board until his or her replacement is picked and is read to assume the duties of a manager.

I am told one such outgoing manager has tried to follow this rule, but is being blocked from attending and voting on issues by the other board members.

Apparently, there is a lot of chit chat and voting on issues going on, outside the monthly meetings that no one else knows about.

In other words, the actions of this Board of Managers is not transparent, and they need oversight.

IF it is true that the other members of the board are preventing the outgoing manager from doing his or her job, until their replacement is appointed, then this board is doing the same thing that the administration of the home does - selective application of the rules, instead of all rules applying equally to all members.

No wonder the residents feel like its a prison.

Board of Managers Minutes Not reflecting what happens at the meetings.

I am getting comments from 8 people so far, who claim they have gone to Board meetings, and then read that months posted Minuets.

All say that many things that are being said at the meetings, are not being reported. Descending opinions are not being posted. People who object, or whose opinions are in opposition to those of the board, or those who raise concerns are not being mentioned in the minuets.

One person wrote that he believes the Minutes posted should cover and report all things that happen at the meeting. Not necessarily word for word, but at least a short synopsis of what happens as each item is brought up for discussion.

All said too much information that would be of interest to the general public, is being left out because it might reflect negatively on the administration or board.

Therefore I encourage people to attend these "open" meetings to find out for themselves.

Also I got a complaint that the board has changed the Date for the May meeting. According to the rules they are supposed to give 30 days notice and they have not.

I just mark that up as further proof that the home has a double standard and rules are only advisory items for the administration and board members.

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.
Our Facebook page

Chairman Meyers' Ego, and the denial of due (fair) process of a veterans appeal.

Let the evidence speak for itself.

FACTS:
October 2010, Veteran takes up residency at Veterans home, is given Handbook dated 2010.

July 2011, Veteran undergoes life saving heart surgery at Federal VA hospital in Ann Arbor, Mi.

Sept 2012, new hand books available, but not issued to veterans. Veteran did not obtain one of these books.

Sept 25 thru October 4th 2012, Veteran panics during a situation that should never have gone past a mere hearing,  and gets into trouble for the first time in his 2 years at the home. Discipline hearing is needed. 

This is a MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. 

October 5th, Administration decides to discharge veteran based on NEW handbook information, which veteran does not have, nor was issued.

October 2012, Veteran is discharged from the home for first offense, exactly 2 years to the date he came to veterans home, without a disciplinary hearing or any kind of a hearing, just a notification.

November 2012, Veteran appears before the Board of mangers with  help of attorney, for appeal of discharge. Board requests Veteran get help for his stress and depression, and to reapply for appeal after he has obtained proof that he has complied with the request from the Board of Managers.

June 6th 2013, Veteran files for 2nd appeal, having completed the requirement of the board of managers. Veteran Hands Sara Dunne (administrator of veterans home) his 2nd appeal while she is standing outside her office door at about 10.15 in the morning.

June 2012,  27th,  Veteran is not informed to appear before the board for this month. This will be updated as soon as we get a copy of that months board meeting minutes.


No board meeting for July 2013.

During the last week of July 2013, and the first 3 weeks of August 2013, veteran visits friends at the home. Many staff members talked to him including prominent staff members. None inform him to leave, nor that he is not supposed to be on the property.

July 27th, Veteran attends Carnival as guest of resident veteran and his wife. He is told by Gary Davis (social services) that Sara Dunne (top administrator) has claimed he is not to be on property. Veteran is unaware of that, and tells Davis he will leave if asked to go. Davis does not ask.

Aug 2013, Board of mangers at OTHER veteran home location in Upper Michigan, acknowledges that Veteran has completed their requirement, however veteran is not asked to appear at this meeting and Veterans case is tabled.

August 25 2013, Veteran is given letter from board of managers, sent to wrong address, informing him to stay off property until he appears before the board. Veteran stops visiting the home. 

September 2013, Veteran after applying a 2nd time for 2nd appeal, appears before the board of managers, and  2 well known volunteers testify in support of veteran. Ernest Meyers chairman of the board, goes on a 5 min rant about the veteran going on the property of the home. Board does NOT address the fact that veteran has already met their previous requirement!

Instead they concentrate on the fact that he was going on the property for 3 weeks out of a year, with key staff personnel knowing he was there, who never asked him to leave. And he offered proof he was NOT a threat to any one to support his appeal, and with 2 well known volunteers to offer their own testimony in support of his returning.  Board tabled the 2nd appeal for October.

Veteran requested special authority to go to a non profit group meeting. Veteran is Denied, and told he would be invited to go to October meeting, and that he was again to stay off property until he appeared. Veteran agreed and has since then, remained to this day, off the property.

September board of Managers Minutes shows Veteran attended meeting and that his appeal was tabled, but does NOT mention the 2 volunteers who testified on behalf of the veteran.

Seems a lot of information is missing from the meeting minutes.


October 2013, Veteran received letter threatening him with arrest for trespass, if he set foot on veterans home property.  Veteran was NOT instructed to appear at the October meeting of the board of managers, as he was told he would be by Ernie Meyers who told him he would be.

Chairman told this to the veteran, in front of Gary Davis, the veterans home head of social services.
The letter also told the Veteran to take his appeal to Michigan Appeals court.

October 2013 agenda sheet for Board of Managers show Veterans appeal as old business. Yet Veteran was never informed to appear before the board for this meeting.

October 2013 Board of Managers meeting minutes show that the veterans appeal was refused, and that he was notified to stay off the property. They don't even have his name spelled properly!


What the board minutes does not say is that this  veteran was not invited to appear before the board as promised by Meyers.  And most important, it does NOT show the fact that Ernest Meyers directed him to take his appeal to the Courts (which the letter the veteran was sent, says to do.) 

It appears that the Veterans appeal was refused because he went on the property after taking the advice of a lawyer, while he was unsure if he could go on the property or not.   He visited friends who were still at the home and at least 5 key staff members saw him and talked with him while he was there. Veteran thought that this action would give more proof to the board that he was not a threat to anyone and the board should grant his appeal.

The only ones that seem to have had a problem with the veteran visiting his friends, are Sara Dunne, and/or Ernie Meyers and neither have stated why!

Veteran appeal is being refused over a 3 week period where this Honorably discharged veteran, who has been a Citizen of Michigan since his birth, went on State owned property; not because of a question of his behavior, which is the reason he got discharged from the home after his first incident in 2 years.. The issue of his behavior was never addressed.

The resulting actions of the chairman of the board of managers,  has caused the veteran to experience great distress and emotional turmoil over the boards actions.


The evidence is clear. The Board chairman and his board of managers never intended on giving this guy a fair hearing, and their continual denial is due to the Chairman's ego, not about the facts of the case.

This is not about one man. It is about how the board of managers does business and how it affects ALL veterans. This is about the fact the home has NO MENTAL health care available for ANY of the people living there.

What is really sad is the fact that the board of managers can't even get the spelling of the veteran correct in their records.  Like I've said in this blog.. they should all hang their heads in shame when they are in public.

This veteran had nearly 2 years of good behavior at the home and one incident where he panicked got out of hand. The administration ignored the advice of its own staff member, Gerald Thomas, Head of security and safety.

This Veteran just wants to go visit friends and participate in Guitars for Veterans, and help out his fellow vets, if he can. But he cannot because of an ego problem with the Board of Managers Chairman. He has been left no choice but to take his case to the courts and there show the courts that the chairman is acting a fool.

Chairman Meyers has left him no choice, although he would rather not have to go to court, that is exactly what must be done unless the board acts other wise.

Veteran has told us that he is preparing his case for court and will seek damages if possible, and a criminal indictment of Ernest Meyers for willfully violating his rights to a fair hearing.

Chairman Ernie attends photo op at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

I am Surprised that Ernest Meyers even knew that the new canopy which cost nearly a million dollars was finished!.. According to an interview with news 8 a few months ago, he didn't even know the administration of the home was closing down the 4th floor of the very building hes standing in front of, in this news 8 photo.  Oh and lets not even MENTION, the thousands of dollars embezzled from other projects, money that was donated for those projects, then reportedly by your own administration, rerouted to pay for this new awning. 

Yes this is Ernest Meyers, Chairman of the Board of Miss-managers.  The so called Ombudsman for the veterans at the home and at the same time, Chairman of the board. Kind of a conflict of interest, wouldn't you say?

This is the same guy who went on a 10 minute rant at Greg M's 2nd appeal hearing, about how HE, Ernest Meyers ran the home.. Funny, hes rarly there, except for an occasional board meeting and a few photo ops like this one..

Sara Dunne, shown here on the left, is listed As Top Administrator, not Ernest Meyers.










Ok Ernie.. what is next? Will we see your silly mug again when they re-open the bowling alley?