Vets home is still over drugging veterans without proper medical or legal oversight.

From the office of the Michigan department of of the Auditor General Report April 2013.
Page 15. The Home has been found guilty of not providing proper mental health supervision as required by federal law since the home takes federal money to pay for the care of the veterans.

Nor has the home had an on staff psychiatrist since August 2011. Yet the home continues to administer drugs (medications) that require a licensed Psychiatrist. In fact, according to this audit, the home on average has been giving these drugs to 81 percent of its 509 veterans.

And that the home administered anti psychotic drugs to 41 percent of its 509 members, verses 18 percent in other nursing homes in Michigan. And they did this without proper medical attention.

In short, they are over drugging the veterans. And this we already knew. But it still goes on.

According to this report, the home was supposed to reduce the amount of medication over time, due to lack of properly trained and certified medical personnel, but the home did not. 

The home is STILL over drugging its veterans. THIS MUST STOP. It is KILLING veterans.

One veteran stopped taking the drug Depakote. This was unbeknown to the staff. Instead of swallowing it, he spit it out in his bathroom. At his Care Conference in March, all those in attendance commended him on how well behaved he had been, referring to the drug and how good it was working. He recently was hospitalized because of other issues and it became known that this drug wasn't in his system! In other words, his improved behavior was because he was not taking the drug. And because he was not taking it, they are now punishing him, by forcing him to take a drug he does not need.  NOW, they are forcing him to take the drug, mixing it with applesauce. He has NO CHOICE now. To further punish him, they stopped giving him the drug Baclofen. Without this drug, this veteran has to deal with spasticity and the inability to move his legs. He needs help getting out of bed. He needs help getting to his chair. Every move he makes is very painful. I did some research on this drug Depakote. I am including it here for your reference.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/depakote-side-effects.html. This veteran is suffering from many of the side effects. The big one is dementia. This veteran suffers from EVERYONE of the common side effects in one form or another. He has been diagnosed with COPD. Why give him a drug that causes difficult or labored breathing? We can all understand why they want the veteran to take a drug that causes depersonalization. This kind of "Care" is a criminal act and should be investigated and prosecuted.

Depakote Side Effects in Detail - Drugs.com 

Learn about the potential side effects of Depakote (divalproex sodium). Includes common and rare side effects information for consumers and healthcare professionals.

Another man is fighting the administration who is trying to force a guardian upon him, because he will not take drugs for something that runs in his family, which he is not showing any signs of having. The drug makes him disorientated and since is not showing signs of the illness, he figures he should not have to take the drug.  The home disagrees, and is trying get the state government to impose a guardian upon the man, (making him a slave and taking away his freedom), so that the guardian can force him to take the drugs. This just isn't right.  The guy found out the home had been secretly talking to his wife about getting a guardian for 6 months.. He is extremely upset about this, as he should be.

This is the "quality" care Deputy Director James Dunn keeps telling Michigan Government that our veterans are getting..

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.