Was this necessary? Funding pulled for vets' adult day care in Omaha, Iowa

2015-07-01T09:31:33-04:00

Funding has been pulled for adult day care for veterans in Omaha and western Iowa due to a $2.5 billion shortfall in the Veterans Affair's Department health care budget.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System will no longer cover adult day care and other forms of non-skilled nursing care after July 31.

VA spokesman Will Ackerman says officials understand it's an inconvenience to veterans and their families, but that they must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

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Funding has been pulled for adult day care for Omaha and western Iowa veterans due to a $2.5 billion shortfall in the Department of Veterans Affair's health care budget.

The VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System will no longer cover adult day care and other forms of non-skilled nursing care after July 31, the Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1Hs1Tw2 ) reported.

"We recognize the inconvenience," VA spokesman Will Ackerman said. "But we also have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and not spend money we don't have."

Ackerman said the VA will work with veterans' families to ease the transition. He wasn't able to determine Monday how many veterans are affected by the cuts.

For caregivers like Marcie Hoff, the news isn't welcome. Her father, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Bernie Childers, spends several hours each weekday in the Franciscan Centre Adult Day Service in Omaha. The 75-year-old is disabled from a host of medical conditions caused by exposure to a highly toxic herbicide called Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The VA had covered the $50-a-day cost of the program, which featured music, crafts and games as well as lunch.

At least 20 of Franciscan's 67 clients are veterans whose treatment is funded by the VA, said Julie Sebastian, president and CEO of New Cassel Retirement Center which hosts the Franciscan Centre program. She believes families of veterans likely will see higher costs because they'll end up hiring home-health aides or consider placing the veterans in nursing homes, which can cost around $7,500 a month.

Kimberly Dove said the adult day care program had allowed her to return to work.

Her father, Lylan Webb, is a 76-year-old Army veteran and suffers from Alzheimer's disease. She said she had in-home caregivers for a while, but her father didn't cope well with different people caring for him. The stability of adult day care had calmed him considerably.

"He's around people he's comfortable with. They play a little music, and that relaxes him," she said. "Without this, it jeopardizes my job. My life is on hold now."

http://www.theindependent.com/news/state/funding-pulled-for-vets-adult-day-care-in-omaha-iowa/article_600f4b97-9fe9-554c-a38d-a8e5bca3bb69.html

Ackerman says the VA will work with veterans' families to ease the transition.

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2015/06/30/funding-pulled-for-vets-adult-day-care-in-omaha-iowa/29512777/

Funding pulled for vets' adult day care in Omaha, Iowa

Funding has been pulled for adult day care for veterans in Omaha and western Iowa due to a $2.5 billion shortfall in the Veterans Affair's Department health care budget.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 1 at 2015 9:33 AM

2015-07-01T09:33:59-04:00

Makes you wonder where this is going.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 1 at 2015 9:38 AM

2015-07-01T09:38:21-04:00

Well, at least they can decrease their wait times this way.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 1 at 2015 9:38 AM

2015-07-01T09:38:38-04:00

This hurt my heart. I would rather have furlough days for non clinical personnel. Cut back on overtime to a ZERO. freeze hiring for admin. there are so many other solutions to jump too. not limit the veterans care. WTF are they doing...?! They are jump to the biggest hurt to get the biggest outcry from the people that will demand funding. Its not the logical option, its will hurt the veterans.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jul 1 at 2015 9:54 AM

2015-07-01T09:54:27-04:00

FYI Omaha is not in Iowa. It was, but we cut sling and forced Nebraska to form their own state.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jul 1 at 2015 11:22 AM

2015-07-01T11:22:26-04:00

SPC Jan Allbright, I will turn 60 in a few days, and my 100% prognosis from the mild traumatic brain injury is dementia in my later years, I will be in these category within time, and it is sad to see what my future will be.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 1 at 2015 12:24 PM

2015-07-01T12:24:23-04:00

That's a way to save money, cut veteran health care! Way to lead from the front VA!

That was sarcasm if you didn't get it.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S..

Response by SSG Donald Mceuen made Jul 2 at 2015 6:55 AM

2015-07-02T06:55:22-04:00

They would rather give phones and shit like that away than take care of the vets and help the family out that keeps them out of the nursing homes..