A St. Louis group contends the Missouri's Veterans Commission is ignoring problems at the state's Veterans Home in North St. Louis County.
The commission said problems raised this summer have been addressed.
But some family members and friends of those living in the St. Louis home disagree, and are planning a media event Monday night, in Kirkwood, to air their complaints.
"You will hear about incidents the veterans have endured and are subjected to, that will bring you to tears," Dory Poholsky of Kirkwood said Friday.
"A brief list of serious infractions (includes) improper medication dispensing; nighttime care almost non-existent; threats and harassment to vets, staff and family members by the administrators; call signals for help go unattended; wives, families and veterans called 'troublemakers' by administrators; no special diets for diabetics, and other requirements; (and) improper sterilization procedures resulting in multiple hospital placements."
She said at least some in her group think the problems won't be resolved until the St. Louis home's top two administrators - and Veterans Commission Director Larry Kay, Assistant Director Bryan Hunt and Homes Director Kim Packard - are removed from their jobs.
But no drastic steps are needed, commission spokesman Daniel Bell said Friday.
"In July, MVC received a series of complaints from a small group of family members from the St. Louis Veterans Home. MVC immediately started a comprehensive investigation that included over 400 hours of Central Office Staff involvement on-site in the first two weeks," Bell said.
"Any and all allegations involving patient care were looked into and thoroughly reviewed."
The home had an unannounced annual inspection by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Bell noted, and the family members who made the initial complaints had the opportunity to meet with the members of the VA survey team.
"After four days of interviews, record reviews, and observations, it was determined that the home was in full compliance with all 158 VA standards," he said.
Poholsky dismissed the commission's statement.
"That is ludicrous," she said. "Appearance-wise, the home is lovely - freshly painted and floors shining."
But at non-inspection times, she said, visitors can find residents being ignored and can sense "a strong smell of urine and feces."
Poholsky, 83, said she got involved after a friend moved into the St. Louis home last year.
"He related all the dangerous infractions occurring at the home," she said. "I was introduced to other residents. The first one, totally paralyzed in a wheelchair, looked at me and said, 'I would rather be dead than having to stay here. This place is a killing field.'"
Poholsky said she's spent the last year meeting with residents, their families and some of the home's staff, gathering information about the home's operations and conditions.
She said she sent a 48-page typewritten report to Gov. Eric Greitens about the situation, and that was followed by visits from Kay and others to the St. Louis facility.
Even after the initial investigation last summer, Bell said "Central Office Staff continued to investigate and maintain an increased physical presence in the facility for over two months."
The Veterans Commission has a meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday in Jefferson City.
But Poholsky said she and her group aren't planning to attend, because the commission staff is "a major part of the problem. They have covered up the comments that our families and vets have said to them, when they came down on inspection."
She hopes the public will stand up for the veterans after hearing the families' comments during a 7 p.m. meeting Monday at Kirkwood North Middle School - and send their concerns to Greitens, Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, as well as other state and federal officials.
Bell said, as a result of this summer's investigation, changes were made at the St. Louis home, including:
- Appointment of a Guest Services Director to serve as a concierge to both family members and veterans, "to be a one-stop shop to escalate concerns to appropriate departments including administration as needed."
- Adding an evening shift administrator for consistent operations oversight and to address any family and veteran concerns.
- Expanding camily council meetings from quarterly to monthly.
- Increasing staff education and training on numerous patient care topics.
Poholsky said improved training is one of her group's ultimate goals.
She said the group also has contacted Parson and former state Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood.
Stream could not be reached Saturday, and Greitens' and Parson's offices didn't respond to requests for comment.
The commission operates seven Veterans Homes around the state, in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis and Warrensburg.
Poholsky said the group's complaints involve only the St. Louis facility in Bellefontaine Neighbors.
She said the other homes "are in smaller locations," where the staff are more likely to treat the veterans as "family." Still she believes all of them should be inspected.