BENNINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A new law signed by Gov. Phil Scott attempts to expand health care services for veterans in Vermont but it appears our retired service personnel won’t be getting that care anytime soon. Those who have beds at the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington seem to be a lucky few.
It’s lunchtime at the Vermont Veterans’ Home and Army veteran David Merrill is grateful to have a place where he can be taken care of.
“I had nowhere else to go. I’m not able to do anything on my own anymore, and I had to face that,” Merrill said.
The fear of having nowhere to go is not new to seniors– and especially veterans in the state– with many nursing homes having yearslong waiting lists. Melissa Jackson, the executive director of the Vermont Veterans’ Home says this residence is no different.
“I have a waiting list of 60 veterans and members who need immediate placement and we don’t have beds to offer them,” Jackson said.
But a new law was passed this session that provides the Vermont Veterans’ Home board with the authority to expand services for vets outside the Bennington facility, and to establish another nursing home for vets in another part of the state.
“It gives us that first step to start looking at how we can help more of Vermont veterans, because our mission is to help Vermont veterans throughout the state, not just here in Bennington,” Jackson said.
But Jackson says the Vermont Veterans’ Home can’t afford to expand right now and they barely have the staff to keep this home afloat.
“The direct impact of the shortage of health care workers on this facility is we have a 30-bed unit closed,” Jackson explained.
Social workers from the Vermont Office of Veteran Affairs say finding health care is a constant struggle for veterans. Short-term rehabs after surgeries and long-term care facility beds are in short supply. Vets become in-patients at hospitals, staying longer than they need to and burdening the larger health care system. H.794 also attempts to address these problems but the law comes with no additional funding for either veterans’ health care or building another nursing home.
“I suspect it’s a long road ahead. But I think that this legislation at least opens the door to the possibility and that’s very exciting,” said Monica Wielt, a VA social worker.
As of now, Jackson says she has no plans to expand services in the upcoming year.