Audit: Vets with brain injury still not getting proper care

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press WriterThu May 1, 3:05 PM ET

Many Iraq war veterans with traumatic brain injury are not getting adequate health care and job assistance for their long-term recovery despite years of government pledges to do so, Veterans Affairs Department investigators say.

"Significant needs remain unmet," according to the report released Thursday by the VA's inspector general. It is the first to examine the Bush administration's long-term efforts in supporting veterans with traumatic brain injury, a leading problem among soldiers struck by roadside bombs that often causes lasting emotional and behavioral difficulties.

The study tracked a group of 52 patients who received VA treatment after sustaining brain injury during a seven-month period in 2004. An initial review by the IG in 2006 found gaps in follow-up care and family counseling 16 months after the injury and urged the VA to improve long-term case management.

The VA pledged to coordinate the necessary follow-up care with the Pentagon, but the latest audit concludes that efforts are still falling short for roughly one in four patients.

It found that 10 of the 41 veterans who agreed to be interviewed said they weren't getting needed help for health care, vocational rehabilitation, family support or housing. At least four patients specifically cited trouble in getting primary or specialty eye care, while others reported gaps with family counseling for problems such as depression and anger.

"This is very troubling," said Michael O'Rourke, assistant director for veterans health policy at Veterans of Foreign Wars. "The fact of the matter is from the very beginning VA and Defense went in with too little, too short (on resources), because they weren't expecting this to be a prolonged conflict of war.

"I've seen a lot of effort to correct problems that exist. But constant vigilance is required," he said. "Veterans deserve to be treated for problems they may or may not know of."

The report included a VA response in which the department acknowledged problems with case management but stated that with recent improvements it now had "systems in place to ensure that all veterans with TBI are being followed as their clinical needs require."

For example, the VA pointed to plans announced last week to start calling 570,000 recent combat veterans to make sure they know what services are available to them.

In the audit, investigators praised the new measures as "positive steps" but questioned whether the VA's latest promise to keep watch over veterans would prove to be a reality. They said that "at least 8 of 49 veterans we contacted had significant unmet needs and no evidence of VA case management in the previous year."

"We continue to be concerned that all veterans discharged after inpatient rehabilitation for TBI receive case management, unless this has been explicitly denied by the patient," investigators stated, adding that they will continue monitoring the VA to ensure Iraq war veterans are receiving the care they need.

Other findings based on the sample group:

_Eighteen of the 41 interviewed veterans with brain injury, or 44 percent, said anger was "a problem" for them.

_Twenty-one veterans, or 51 percent, reported receiving adequate counseling and support for their behavioral or emotional problems.

The report comes amid renewed scrutiny of the Bush administration's efforts in treating veterans with traumatic brain injury, which in its mild form is known as a concussion, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder in light of a prolonged Iraq war. About 19 percent — or an estimated 320,000 — of U.S. combat troops who fought in Iraq or Afghanistan may have suffered head injuries, according to a recent RAND Corp. study.

Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office found that thousands of Iraq war veterans who could have suffered traumatic brain injury may be getting unnecessary or inadequate health care because VA officials have yet to determine whether their initial screening tests are reliable.

The VA also has faced complaints that a backlog in claims and bureaucratic hurdles have prevented some recent veterans from getting proper mental and physical care. Last week, Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Patty Murray, D-Wash., accused the VA's top mental health official of trying to cover up the number of veterans' suicides and said he should resign.

"While VA has made progress since the last investigation, the inspector general continues to find that too many veterans with TBI and their loved ones are not receiving all the assistance and support they need," said Akaka, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. "This does not appear to be due to a lack of funding, but rather reflects a failure to give these veterans and their loved ones the priority attention they are due."

Active-duty troops who sustain traumatic brain injury are treated for rehabilitation at one of the VA's four specialized medical centers located in Tampa, Fla., Richmond, Va., Minneapolis and Palo Alto, Calif.

"We are now in the sixth year of this war and it is clear that the VA is still struggling to meet the needs of our veterans today — it will take more than just promises to get it right," said Murray, a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

___

On the Net:

Veterans Affairs Department: http://www.va.gov/

VA inspector general: http://www.va.gov/oig/contacts/hotline.asp

Gates calls bad barracks conditions at Fort Bragg appalling

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 26 minutes ago

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, after watching a YouTube video showing poor barracks conditions at the Army's Fort Bragg in North Carolina, said Thursday that what he saw was "appalling" and that all commanders must ensure that their troops have decent living quarters.

"Soldiers should never have to live in such squalor," Gates said during a speech to a packed auditorium of senior enlisted soldiers.

The nearly 10-minute video, put together by the father of an 82nd Airborne paratrooper, showed mold, peeling paint and broken plumbing fixtures in the Korean War-era barracks. The video triggered a worldwide inspection of Army barracks when it surfaced last week.

Gates' comments were the first he's made about the problems, and he said that if local resources are not available for the soldiers, then troops must alert their commanders.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said he does not believe that Gates had any particular person in mind when he mentioned that commanders needed to be responsible.

"He knows that the Army is aggressively looking into this matter and is confident that they will deal with it accordingly," said Morrell. "But, in general terms, he believes in accountability up the chain of command."

Gates watched the video on the plane en route to Mexico City on Tuesday.

"The conditions were appalling," Gates said Thursday.

The soldier's father, Ed Frawley, said he was disgusted by the conditions that greeted his son and the rest of his 82nd Airborne unit that returned last month from a 15-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Army leaders this week said improvements were coming, but some of the problems couldn't be fixed quickly. By Wednesday, the barracks had new paint, and water fountains were fixed, but work crews still labored on the plumbing.

Gates warned in his speech Thursday that, "current needs must not be sacrificed to future capabilities, whether the need is proper treatment of wounded warriors" or getting heavily armored vehicles and more surveillance capabilities to the battlefront.

___

On the Net:

Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil

Once upon a time, there was a FATHER who was just blessed with his FIRST BORN SON.

He LOVED him, UN-CONDITIONALLY from the moment he was a part of his life.

As his son began to grow through the years, said father ALWAYS LOVED said son.

However, from time to time, said son made some MISTAKES. At each one, said father ALWAYS LOVED said son. But, he also told said son, "You can do BETTER" and showed him HOW to do so.

Over said son's number of YEARS, there were numerous times his father saw this occur and always gave similar AND loving responses to his first born son.

*** (END OF PARABLE) ***

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

FROM TallPockets to ALL:

THANKS for taking some of your MOST valuable time to read my feeble blog site. MUCH appreciated.

I wrote this 'parable' to liken it to the present day political climate in America that "I" see.

Some claim we should LOVE America no matter what it does or does not do without much, if any, criticism.

Others claim we should only criticize America for it's FAULTS.

Which brings THIS old man back to the old saying,

"America, LOVE it or LEAVE it".

However, THIS old geezer PREFERS to MORPH that saying into THIS saying of HIS viewpoint:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

***** "America, LOVE it AND make it EVEN BETTER!" *****
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thus, the above 'parable' I ATTEMPTED to write as a comparative analogy. However BADLY it was written, technically.

"I" see the SAME 'moral' argument within the parable of a father ALWAYS loving his son but telling him when son acted up or wrongly to that of those who 'complain' about what THEY see WRONG within the very same America they STILL LOVE, in spite of it's FLAWS.

If fact, MANY 'complain' for the reason(s) that they DO LOVE America. That's WHY it HURTS them so MUCH. To SEE the ''NOT SO GOOD things'' America DOES and what it COULD be and what it SHOULD be, in their eyes and vision.

''EVEN BETTER''!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*** FINAL NOTE to MY dear, late father ***

''DAD - THANK YOU for always LOVING me through the years while ALWAYS holding me to a HIGHER standard at the SAME time''.

LOVE ya', "POP"

#1 Chronological Son

TallPockets/brian.

*** INTRODUCTION ***

TallPockets is a long time fan of the LATE SHOW with David Letterman. He is alot like Dave. He is old, wrinkly, often grumpy, self-deprecating and every LEAP year or so, he makes someone ALMOST laugh or smile.

“Hide the women and the children. Please, NO wagering!”

(Yes, dear folks, TallPockets KNOWS he has written a top ‘12’ and not a top ‘10’ list below. He did not want to be sued for copyright infringement).

“TOP TWELVE REASONS TO VOTE FOR TALLPOCKETS FOR PREZ’ IN 2008”

(12) Any time that an elected or appointed official testifies, they will be mandated to be hooked up to a POLYGRAPH machine. Whenever any such official is shown to be lying, they will be sent to JAIL for perjury and must go on the DR. PHIL television show for PUBLIC counseling.

(11) Since he will be living in the White House on the American taxpayer’s dole and he and will not taking any salary, IF he screws up America and it’s world relationships, he will do it for FREE.

(10) Given the recent rashes of criminality within Congress, he will mandate that each elected official dress in the same government issued uniform: A stylish, black and white striped number like prisoners used to wear in old time movies.

(9) He will give each elected Representative and Senator a scoop shovel and chest high waders so when the CRAPOLA in each institution gets too DEEP, they will be prepared. Each side will be required to shovel out the same amount of shovels full they all contribute to the growing pile of DOO.

(8) To protect our pages and interns in Congress, each intern will wear a home alert warning security system on their backs. If touched anywhere, said alarms will LOUDLY go off and the abuser will be immediately caught and punished by being required to read the OTHER side’s BLOG sites for the next week or two.

(7) He will hire a NUN for each institution. She will keep order whenever our elected officials act like bad boys and girls and cannot get along with one another and will be authorized to SMACK their hands with a yardstick.

(6) He will hire a retired Government teacher to instruct all elected members about how Civics, The Constitution, The Bill Of Rights and The Declaration of Independence are supposed to work in America. (Whomever fails the final test exam will have to attend SUMMER school without pay and will not be eligible for a pay raise).

(5) To improve our Intelligence gathering information for America, he will appoint Forrest Gump as the new C.I.A. director.

(4) He will hire retired school bus drivers to pick up our elected officials so they will be on time to their jobs, Mondays-Fridays. A BELL will RING when it is time to go home. No one will be allowed to leave EARLY without a ‘’Presidential Pass‘’ and attendance records will be kept. Those who miss too many days of work will be terminated. Just like in REAL life.

(3) He will mandate all F.E.M.A. government employees live in FEMA trailers while in office and they will have to issue ‘claims requests’ TO FEMA in order to get their daily, required living essentials. Once all citizens have been properly attended, FEMA employees would be allowed by me to return to their normal living circumstances. That’s called INCENTIVE, dear citizens o’ mine.

(2) He will have a “First Lady Of The Day” for every calendar day he is in office. All eligible single ladies over the age of ‘18’ can participate in such ‘lottery’. (The only requirement is the ladies are able to breathe on their own and have nothing in their lives better to do than to spend a day with him).

On every LEAP year, TallPockets will throw in an additional prize by awarding said lucky lady a spin around Washington D.C. in the presidential limousine.

(1) He does NOT want the job so he will fix the current MESS as quickly as possible so he can go HOME to the SWEET smell of ‘’country’’ air!

More than a few votes short of a FULL QUORUM yours,

TallPockets - 2008

“The Great Equalizer”
(’’DEATH“)

Both young and old - Those rich or poor
Cannot escape - Enter death’s door
It comes at times - We don’t expect
So live your life - With no regret

When bitterness - Of life, unfair
Comes over you - Do not despair
For ALL of us - Will meet same fate
No reason to - Consume with hate

Next time someone - Thinks you, LESS
SMILE at said folk - And give them, ‘’BLESS’’
For in the end - Result the same
No matter one’s - Fortune or Fame

TallPockets - 2008