VA Tampa, Miami Geriatric Care Past Injury / Accidents Long-term care is a critical issue for America's veterans. Over 37 percent of the veteran population is 65 years old or older, compared with 13 percent of the general population. The challenge to care for these 9.5 million men and women is met through a variety of programs, including more than 137 nursing home care units in medical centers, adult day care, home health aide services and community residential care, contracts with 3,500 community nursing homes, and support to 112 state veterans homes. Additionally, VA conducts nationwide research on the causes and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and funds 20 geriatric research centers. Last year in Florida, VA cared for 190,635 veterans age 65 or older. The Bay Pines medical center, for example, has one of the largest community nursing home programs in the VA system, with specialized care in visual impairment, alcohol dependency and post-traumatic stress disorder. Miami and Tampa have over 200 nursing home beds each. The West Palm Beach medical center provides 98 beds in its extended care facility. In conjunction with hospital care, Florida VA supports the "aging in place" concept, advocating aggressive use of services designed to promote alternatives to institutional care. With that in mind, VA set up programs to ensure that long-term care patients are discharged to appropriate community settings. This is accomplished through a variety of programs including adult day care, expanded home care services such as tele-health and telemedicine; homemaker and home aide programs, use of intermediate-care beds and assisted-living facilities and other community-based programs. (Source: DVA Florida, June 2001). VA TO CHANGE HEALTH CARE PRIORITY SYSTEM Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi has been under fire from critics, including some members of Congress, for his recent decision to stop soliciting additional veterans to enroll in the VA health care system. Last week, he reinforced that decision and expressed his intent to change the priority system for VA health care. In the last six years of aggressive VA marketing, the number of veterans enrolled in the VA health care system has grown to six million - about a 50% increase. But VA funding hasn't kept pace, and waiting times have skyrocketed, so veterans in many areas now must wait 6 to 12 months or longer for a primary care appointment. The problem has several roots. A 1996 law change made all veterans eligible for comprehensive VA care, which seems like a good thing. But the VA doesn't have the capacity to deliver all that care in a timely way. And funding approved by current and previous Administrations and Congresses hasn't come close to keeping up with the VA's marketing effort. Finally, the VA until now has given all enrolled veterans, disabled or not, the same appointment priority. So enrolling large numbers of nondisabled veterans increased waiting times for the disabled veterans who are supposed to be the VA's primary customers. hotel rooms NaxosPrincipi explained that VA facilities will not deny enrollment to any eligible veteran, but that the Veterans Health Administration will cease "aggressive marketing." Said Principi, "We have a serious situation, and it is irresponsible to proactively seek new enrollees when we are not confident we will provide them with timely quality care." Perhaps more significantly, the Secretary stated his intent to change the rules governing scheduling for VA health care. His planned changes would give higher scheduling priority to those veterans with a disability rating of 50% or greater and to those seeking care for a service-connected condition. "Never again on my watch will a combat-disabled veteran be told that he or she is no different than any other veteran," said Principi. "These veterans are the very reason we exist and our every action should focus first on their needs." (Source: TROA Legislative Update, August 16, 2002). Read more on this topic http://www.subasekb.navy.mil/retoldnews.htm More http://www.military.com/Resources/ ResourceFileView?file=Veterans_Health.htm - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | 
