Do You Want To Be A Guardian Angel? Provide Housing For Disabled Vets And Start A Foster Home
DO YOU WANT TO BE A GUARDIAN ANGEL??
VA TURNS TO FOSTER CARE RATHER THAN NURSING HOMES – READ BELOW ARTICLE TO LEARN MORE
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES…IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO DO THIS, SIGN UP FOR MY FREE 10-PART COURSE
OR CHECK OUT MY GOLD COURSE, FOR MORE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Ralph Stepney’s home on a quiet street in north Baltimore has a welcoming front porch and large rooms, with plenty of space for his comfortable recliner and vast collection of action movies. The house is owned by Joann West, a licensed caregiver who shares it with Stepney and his fellow Vietnam War veteran Frank Hundt.
“There is no place that I’d rather be. . . . I love the quiet of living here, the help we get. I thank the Lord every year that I am here,” Stepney, 73, said.
It’s a far cry from a decade ago, when Stepney was homeless and “didn’t care about anything.” His diabetes went unchecked and he had suffered a stroke — a medical event that landed him at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
After having part of his foot amputated, Stepney moved into long-term nursing home care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility, where he thought he’d remain — until he became a candidate for a small VA effort that puts aging veterans in private homes: the Medical Foster Home program.
The $20.7 million-per-year program provides housing and care for more than 1,000 veterans in 42 states and Puerto Rico, serving as an alternative to nursing home care for those who cannot live safely on their own. Veterans pay their caregivers $1,500 to $3,000 a month, depending on location, saving the government about $10,000 a month in nursing home care. It has been difficult to scale up, though, because VA accepts only foster homes that meet strict qualifications.
For the veterans, it’s a chance to live in a home setting with caregivers who treat them like family. For VA, the program provides an option for meeting its legal obligation to care for ailing, aging patients at significantly reduced costs, because the veterans pay room and board directly to their caregivers.
Cost-effectiveness is but one of the program’s benefits. Stepney and Hundt, 67, are in good hands with West, who previously ran a home health-care services company. And they’re in good company, watching television together in the main living room, going twice a week to a center that offers daytime care and sitting on West’s porch chatting with neighbors.
West, who considers caring for older adults “her calling,” also savors the companionship and finds satisfaction in giving back to those who spent their young lives in military service to the United States.
“I took care of my mother when she got cancer and I found that I really had a passion for it. I took classes and ran an in-home nursing care business for years. But my dream was always to get my own place and do what I am doing now,” West said. “God worked it out.”
The Medical Foster Home program has slightly more than 700 licensed caregivers who live full time with no more than three veterans and provide round-the-clock supervision and care, according to VA. Akin to a community residential care facility, each foster home must be state-licensed as an assisted-living facility and submit to frequent inspections by VA as well as state inspectors, nutritionists, pharmacists and nurses.
Unlike typical community care facilities, foster home caregivers are required to live on-site and tend to the needs of their patients themselves 24/7 — or supply relief staff.
“It’s a lot of work, but I have support,” West said. “I try to make all my personal appointments on days when Mr. Ralph and Mr. Frank are out, but if I can’t, someone comes in to be here when I’m gone.”
VA medical foster home providers also must pass a federal background check, complete 80 hours of training before they can accept patients, plus 20 hours of additional training each year, and allow VA to make announced and unannounced home visits. They cannot work outside the home and must maintain certification in first aid, CPR and medicine administration.
But one prerequisite cannot be taught — the ability to make a veteran feel at home. West has grown children serving in the military and takes pride in contributing to the well-being of veterans.
“It’s a lot of joy taking care of them,” she said of Stepney and Hundt. “They deserve it.”
To be considered for the program, veterans must be enrolled in VA health care; have a serious, chronic disabling medical condition that requires a nursing home level of care; and need care coordination and access to VA services. It can take up to a month to place a veteran in a home once they are found eligible, according to VA.
The veterans also must be able to cover their costs. Because medical foster homes are not considered institutional care, VA is not allowed to pay for it directly. The average monthly fee, according to VA, is $2,300, which most veterans cover with their VA compensation, Social Security and savings, said Nicole Trimble, Medical Foster Home coordinator at the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Maryland.
Since 1999, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been required to provide nursing home services to veterans who qualify for VA health care and have a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or higher, or are considered unemployable and have a disability rating of 60 percent or higher.
VA provides this care through short- or long-term nursing home facilities, respite care, community living centers on VA hospital grounds, private assisted living facilities and state veterans homes.
Shortly after, the VA Medical Center in Little Rock launched an alternative — a pilot program that placed veterans in individual homes, at an average cost to VA of about $60 a day, including administration and health-care expenses, compared with upward of $500 a day for nursing home care.
And because veterans who are enrolled in the Medical Foster Care program must use VA’s Home Based Primary Care program, which provides an interdisciplinary team of health professionals for in-home medical treatment, the program saves VA even more. One studyshowed that the home-based care has yielded a 59 percent drop in VA hospital inpatient days and a 31 percent reduction in admissions among those who participate.
More than 120 VA medical centers now oversee a Medical Foster Home program in their regions, and VA has actively promoted the program within its health system.
It also has attracted bipartisan congressional support. In 2013, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced a bill to allow VA to pay for medical foster homes directly.
In 2015, former House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) introduced similar legislation that would have allowed VA to pay for up to 900 veterans under the program.
And this month , Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) raised the issue again, sponsoring a bill similar to Miller’s. “Allowing veterans to exercise greater flexibility over their benefits ensures that their individual needs are best met,” Higgins said in support of the program.
Foster care has been a blessing for the family of Hundt, who suffered a stroke shortly after his wife died and was unable to care for himself. Hundt’s daughter, Kimberly Malczewski, lives nearby and often stops in to visit her dad, sometimes with her 2-year-old son.
“I’m not sure where my father would be if he didn’t have this,” she said. “With my life situation — my husband and I both work full time, we have no extra room in our house, and we have a small child — I can’t take care of him the way Miss Joann does.”
Trimble, whose program started in 2012 and has five homes, said she hopes to expand by two to three homes a year. VA will remain meticulous about selecting homes.
“There is a strict inspection and vetting process to be a medical foster home,” Trimble said. “We only will accept the best.”
It also takes a special person to be an “angel,” as the caregivers are referred to in the program’s motto, “Where Heroes Meet Angels.”
Stepney and Hundt agree West has earned her wings. On a recent cruise to Bermuda, she brought Stepney and Hundt along.
For Hundt, it was the first time he’d been on a boat. And Stepney said it was nothing like the transport ships he and his fellow troops used in the late 1960s: “Well, I’ve gotten to travel, but it was mainly two years in Vietnam, and there weren’t any women around.”
When asked why she brought the pair along, West said caregiving is “a ministry, something you really have to like to do.”
“And you know how the saying goes,” she said. “When you like what you do, you never work a day in your life.”
If you are interested in learning how to be a GUARDIAN ANGEL, check out my free 10 part course….if you want step by step instructions, check out my GOLD COURSE
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for buy liquid cialis online
Hi there mates, its fantastic piece of writing regarding educationand entirely
explained, keep it up all the time.
Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads
up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Ie.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let
you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved
soon. Many thanks
Magnificent beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog web site?
The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast
offered bright clear idea
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to
be happy. I have read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you some
interesting things or tips. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article.
I wish to read even more things about it!
That is a really good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere.
Brief but very accurate information… Thanks for sharing this
one. A must read article!
This web site truly has all the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who
to ask.
Magnificent beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your
website, how could i subscribe for a weblog web site?
The account aided me a applicable deal. I were tiny bit
familiar of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea
Here is my web page :: cbd gummies with fireball
Great delivery. Sound arguments. Keep up the great effort.
Here is my web blog cbd capsules for pain
I have been surfing online more than 4 hours today, yet I
never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough
for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as
you did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever
before.
I absolutely love your blog.. Great colors & theme.
Did you develop this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my
own site and would love to know where you got this from or just what the theme is named.
Thanks!
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You obviously know what youre talking about, why throw
away your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you
could be giving us something enlightening to read?
Ridiculous story there. What happened after? Take care!
When someone writes an paragraph he/she retains the image of a user in his/her mind that how a user can know it.
Therefore that’s why this article is perfect. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your info. I really appreciate your efforts
and I am waiting for your next write ups thanks once
again.
I was suggested this website by my cousin. I am not sure
whether this post is written by him as no one else
know such detailed about my difficulty. You’re
amazing! Thanks!
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem along with your web site in internet
explorer, could check this? IE still is the marketplace chief and a
huge portion of people will miss your magnificent writing due to this problem.
My homepage; maeng da kratom reviews; Tamika,
Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to
be on the web the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get
irked while people think about worries that they plainly do not know about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal.
Will probably be back to get more. Thanks
Here is my web blog; slot online terbaik
I couldn’t resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!
My page: best kratom
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having a
tough time locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email.
I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great site and I look forward to seeing it expand over time.
My page … giving dog asprin
I am curious to find out what blog platform you happen to be using?
I’m having some small security problems with my latest
website and I’d like to find something more safeguarded.
Do you have any solutions?
My blog – cbd gummies for pain
You’re so interesting! I do not suppose I have read through anything
like that before. So great to find somebody with unique
thoughts on this subject matter. Seriously.. thank you for starting this
up. This web site is something that is needed on the web, someone with
a little originality!
We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
Your website offered us with useful info to work on. You’ve done an impressive
task and our whole group will probably be thankful to
you.
Hey! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that
would be okay. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.
wonderful points altogether, you just won a brand new reader.
What would you suggest in regards to your put up that you just made a
few days ago? Any sure?
my page … weed near me
What’s up, everything is going well here and ofcourse every one is
sharing information, that’s really fine, keep up writing.
My homepage – buy weed
My brother recommended I may like this blog. He was totally right.
This put up actually made my day. You can not believe simply how so much
time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
Look at my web page: buy weed online
Hello there, I believe your web site might be having web browser compatibility problems.
When I take a look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening
in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Aside from that, wonderful blog!
Feel free to surf to my blog – shop for weed online
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to your blog before but after
going through some of the articles I realized it’s new to me.
Anyways, I’m certainly happy I found it and I’ll
be book-marking it and checking back regularly!
Also visit my homepage :: marijuana dispensaries
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I
clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just
wanted to say excellent blog!
Stop by my web page … tiktok followers
I read this paragraph fully about the difference of newest and earlier technologies, it’s remarkable article.
Review my web page: cannabis near me – http://www.seattleweekly.com –
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was
good. I do not know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already
😉 Cheers!
Hey I am so delighted I found your webpage, I really found you by mistake,
while I was searching on Bing for something else, Anyhow I am
here now and would just like to say many thanks
for a fantastic post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all
at the minute but I have book-marked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I
will be back to read more, Please do keep
up the superb b.
Also visit my webpage … delta 8 gummies
Your style is very unique compared to other people I
have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this
blog.
Have a look at my page; Best THC Gummies
I was able to find good advice from your blog articles.
my web page; weed gummies
Hi there to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more from this web site,
and your views are fastidious in support of new visitors.
Here is my blog US Magazine, http://www.usmagazine.com,
Hi Dear, are you in fact visiting this site regularly, if so then you will definitely
take good experience.
Feel free to visit my web site … buy Instagram followers
Hi there, There’s no doubt that your blog could possibly be having browser compatibility problems.
Whenever I take a look at your blog in Safari,
it looks fine however, if opening in IE, it has some overlapping issues.
I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up!
Aside from that, wonderful website!
Stop by my web page: Best delta 8 gummies Observer – bit.ly –
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!
My webpage :: buy Instagram followers Buzzoid
I am regular reader, how are you everybody? This piece of writing posted at this web page is actually fastidious.
Feel free to surf to my web site: best delta 8
Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is truly informative.
I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue this
in future. Lots of people will be benefited
from your writing. Cheers!
My web-site :: Best Delta 8 THC Gummies
I am really loving the theme/design of your site. Do you
ever run into any web browser compatibility problems? A handful of my blog audience have complained about my site not working
correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome.
Do you have any solutions to help fix this problem?
my homepage – slot
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me.
Kudos!
hello!,I really like your writing so a lot!
percentage we keep in touch more about your article on AOL?
I require a specialist on this house to unravel my problem.
Maybe that is you! Having a look ahead to see you.
I know this web page provides quality based articles and extra information, is there any other
web site which gives these information in quality?
Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how
could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account
aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit
acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea
Thanks for finally writing about > how to start a foster home for disabled veterans.
Disabled vets foster home < Liked it!
Situs Daftar Joker123 Online
Today, gambling online games have evolved in to something fun, anxious at the similar time bring lots of benefits.
Maybe you are one of the particular many people sense bored when from home because there is no activity, if you
need entertainment activities that will fill the time while at house, the answer is playing internet gambling.
In order to be able in order to enjoy gambling online video games,
of course the first thing to do is usually to find the best in addition to most trusted internet site that works extremely well as a play partner,
one of our recommended websites is Joker123. For anyone
who don’t would like to get caught up within cyber crime in addition to don’t wish
to trouble buying trusted betting site, you can just daftar joker123 via Betberry.
Playing Tembak Ikan Joker123 Be unfaithful
In the globe, there are a number of gambling online sites that will provide
fish seeker games but just Joker123 will be able to provide the
best online games in its class. Game software accessible on joker123
is usually software using the most recent technology so that this can provide sharp
visual appearance and responsive performance.
Maybe a person are an experienced online gambling player and have long
been within this field yet you are still confused why an individual
still cannot attain success and continue to suffer defeat
any time playing tembak ikan joker123.