New Documents Reveal Details of VA Delays and Mistreatment of Veterans
A newly-released series of documents from the VA’s Office of the Medical Inspector, which were hinted at in a report to the Office of the Special Council in June, detail several findings of numerous abuses and delays, mistreatment of veterans, at VA Hospitals across the country. It’s the delay in VA treatment that can lead to injury and even death.
For example, a Vietnam veteran who had a history of attempting to kill himself entered a VA live-in treatment facility in 2003, but did not receive psychiatric care until 2008, when he ended up in the emergency room due to his “crying and disruptive behavior.” The report of the Brockton, MA home showed that, although he was in the VA facility for mental health care, that was the only day he saw a psychiatrist until 2011, 8 years after he entered the care of the Veterans Administration.
Another patient in Brockton, MA, who suffered from the mistreatment of veterans, was admitted to the VA live-in facility in 2005 – he was a Green Beret who had Parkinson’s Disease, and was 100% disabled due to post-traumatic stress disorder. He was admitted to the Veterans Affairs hospital with confusion, depression, dementia, psychosis, hallucinations, and suicidal ideation. He was not seen by a psychiatrist until 2012, 7 years after entered the VA facility.
The Office of the Medical Inspector simply concluded that “more frequent assessment by psychiatry service would be beneficial.”
“In reality, the deaths of dozens of veterans across the country have been linked to delays in VA care and other serious department health care problems,” Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, told USA TODAY, “but in the fantasy land inhabited by VA’s Office of the Medical Inspector, serious patient-safety issues apparently have no impact on patient safety.”
Miller requested the documents from Veterans Affairs Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson.
Despite the findings of mistreatment of veterans and findings against VA facilities in the Office of the Medical Inspector’s Report, “It did not appear that the psychiatry service makes routine or consistent attempts to follow residents after an initial consultation or to assess response to recommendations,” there were no repercussions.
The findings merely recommended that VA psychiatrists see patients once a year.
The VA’s medical inspector “failed to acknowledge that the confirmed neglect of residents at the facility had any impact on patient care,” Carolyn Lerner, who leads the Office of the Special Counsel, wrote in a letter to President Obama.
She wrote that VA’s “harmless error” defense prevents the VA from “acknowledging the severity of systemic problems.”
“VA owes it to America’s veterans and American taxpayers to explain the steps it is taking to hold those responsible for these reprehensible lapses in care accountable,” Rep. Miller said.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with VA Wrongful Death and Delayed Treatment Cases
The mistreatment of Veterans in unacceptable. The Veterans Benefit Lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. work with veterans to file claims for a variety of disabilities and can assist you in filing your claims with the Veterans Administration. Veterans Disability can be complex. Not understanding the basics and not having counsel may leave you in a bind. We understand that you and your family need your benefits. We will put our years of experience to work for you to ensure that you have the representation necessary to actively pursue your claim. Call the Veterans Benefits Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm today to discuss your case. We will be glad to discuss any questions you may have during our free, confidential discussion. Call the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm at (803) 252-4800.
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