Life for military veterans isn’t easy, but negligent nursing homes and health care providers make things worse. Physical disabilities, homelessness, addiction, abuse and neglect are a few of the daily issues that military veterans face. In nursing homes, mistreatment and abuse can prevent veterans from receiving the medical attention and basic services that they urgently need. Here’s one example of the extreme and inexcusable mistreatment that veterans experience in the long-term care system.
The Case of John Chedester
In November 2013, a disabled Vietnam veteran who had served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years was involuntarily discharged from a nursing home in Iowa. Social workers had placed the veteran in the facility in July 2013 after they determined that he couldn’t take care of himself at home anymore. Although he had requested to live in the Iowa Veterans Home, it didn’t happen.
The veteran had a myriad of health problems. However, because he had not signed up for Medicaid, the nursing home unlawfully evicted him for non-payment 60 days later. At the time he was evicted, he had diabetes, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, PTSD, sepsis and pneumonia. Despite his poor health, nursing home workers drove him 20 miles away and dumped him at an unfurnished apartment without his medications. There was no food in the apartment and no phone service. With help from neighbors in the building, he was transferred to a local hospital for intensive medical treatment before being returned to the same nursing home that evicted him. The nursing home was only fined $5,752 for its egregious conduct.
Disabled Military Veterans and Health Care
As of 2015, America is home to 19.3 million veterans who served their country honorably. Approximately 3.8 million veterans live with service-connected disabilities. Nearly one-third have severe handicaps. Military veterans may suffer from physical disabilities and psychological stress during service and decades later. Disabilities are not always addressed, which can lead to homelessness and addiction.
Even in nursing homes, veterans do not always receive the care that they deserve. These veterans who have dedicated years and even decades to serving their country aren’t treated with common respect or dignity. When race and ethnicity are considered, veterans may encounter additional abuse and discrimination.
Veteran abuse and discrimination shouldn’t be part of the American experience. Nursing Homes that profit by offering services to disabled veterans must be held accountable for the physical and emotional damage that they have caused.
The attorneys at The Mabrey Firm, P.C. fight hard to obtain justice for their clients in nursing home abuse and neglect cases. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation if you believe you or a loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse.
