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New report shows improvements at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans

Posted at 12:12 PM, Aug 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-10 20:23:31-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans is showing improvements in areas highlighted by an audit in February 2016, according to a new report by the Office of the Auditor General.

“This latest report by the OAG reflects the incredible efforts of our dedicated staff at the Michigan Veteran Health System and Grand Rapids Home for Veterans to provide the best possible care to the home’s treasured members,” said MVAA Director James Robert Redford in the release. “We are committed to increasing the quality of life of the veterans we have the privilege of serving at our state veterans homes. While we have largely addressed past audit findings, we recognize there will always be room for improvement. The agency is in the process of making changes to comply with this latest finding.”

The original audit divulged poor conditions, abuse and neglect at the home.

The new report revealed the GRHV is reversing some of these areas by improving their member complaint process, the way staff administers prescribed pharmaceuticals and their control over non-narcotic pharmaceuticals, and the home saw improvement in member accountability and safety services.

Democratic state representative Winnie Brinks issued the following statement on the follow-up report:

“Our veterans deserve more than ‘partial compliance’ with staffing standards — they deserve the best care we can give them. If you have a loved one who relies on this care, 59 percent of the required level of staff supervisors just isn’t good enough. Veterans who live at the home have the right to live in a facility that is fully staffed with competent, caring professionals who deliver the high quality care that they have earned. I will continue to monitor the conditions at the home, and I will keep pushing for improvements until the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans meets all safety and quality standards.”

This follow-up report was released just weeks after Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced charges against 11 employees for Intentional Inclusion in Patient Medical Records or Charts of Misleading or Inaccurate Information.

If convicted those charged could face four years in prison and or a $5,000 fine.