March 22, 2007 /

Veterans Standard of Care in the Toilet

As well as their living conditions: Reports of a rising death rate and rooms spattered with blood, urine and feces at the Armed Forces Retirement Home prompted the Pentagon yesterday to begin investigating conditions at the veterans facility in Northwest Washington. The Government Accountability Office warned the Pentagon this week that residents of the home […]

As well as their living conditions:

Reports of a rising death rate and rooms spattered with blood, urine and feces at the Armed Forces Retirement Home prompted the Pentagon yesterday to begin investigating conditions at the veterans facility in Northwest Washington.

The Government Accountability Office warned the Pentagon this week that residents of the home “may be at risk” in light of allegations of severe health-care problems. Residents have been admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center with “the most serious type of pressure sores” and, in one case, with maggots in a wound, according to a GAO letter sent to the Defense Department.

And Joe found this piece from Military.com:

The review was conducted by directors of individual VA facilities around the country and compiled in a 94-page report to Nicholson. It found that 90 percent of the 1,100 problems cited were deemed to be of a more routine nature: worn-out carpet, peeling paint, mice sightings and dead bugs at VA centers.

The other 10 percent were considered serious and included mold spreading in patient care areas. Eight cases were so troubling they required immediate attention and follow-up action.

Some of the more striking problems were found at a VA clinic in White City, Ore. There, officials reported roof leaks throughout the facility, requiring them to “continuously repair the leaks upon occurrence, clean up any mold presence if any exists, spray or remove ceiling tiles.”

In addition, large colonies of bats resided outside the facility and sometimes flew into the attics and interior parts of the building.

When I worked for a private ambulance service we had the contract to do the VA transports for the Cincinnati area. I was in numerous facilities around this part of the country and they all were run down. That was 15 years ago. I can only imagine how bad they are now.

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