Editor’s note: This commentary is by Jeb Spaulding, who is Vermont’s Secretary of Administration.
[T]here have been a number of recent columns, letters and stories published about the Vermont Veterans’ Home containing significant inaccuracies that, even if unintentionally, do damage to the home’s reputation and make it more difficult to attract residents. That would seem to be the opposite of what the writers are trying to accomplish.
Just to give you a flavor of the misinformation, one person wrote that all the administrators at the Veterans’ Home received raises this year of $5,000 or better. That is not even close to being true. It was stated that Veterans’ Home nurses are paid less than in the private sector. That is also patently false. One writer said it is obvious this administration cares little for its veterans. How so? We have done everything we can to support the staff, management and board of the home in providing great care and an adequate number of beds for interested veterans and their families, including providing millions more in state financial support. It has been my honor to play a part in that. If you are a reader of this column and have not visited the home, I urge you to do so. You will be impressed.
Regarding the reduction in staffing in process at this time, the key point to be made is that what the board and management are doing is adjusting the staffing level to reflect a realistic projection of how many residents they can expect. There seems to be some belief we are reducing beds and thereby denying access to veterans who would like to be at the home. That is not the case. Just as with nursing homes across the state, resident numbers are down, reflecting successful efforts and interest in keeping our seniors in or near their homes. Consider that a recent snapshot showed 52 Veterans’ Home residents were from Bennington County, 10 from Rutland County, and three from Chittenden County. Just a few years ago, the number of residents at the Vermont Veterans’ Home was around 155. Now it is closer to 120, despite an increased emphasis on marketing.
Making changes designed to ensure that, despite challenging finances at the facility in recent years, the Vermont Veterans’ Home will be there for our veterans in the years ahead is the best thing we can do to honor those who have served our country so well.
We all feel for the small number of employees whose jobs may be at stake, but it makes no sense to staff for 150 residents, when all indications are that 130 is at the upper range of what they can expect any time in the foreseeable future and when they are operating in the red.
The amount of state of Vermont General Fund dollars required to keep the Veterans’ Home solvent has recently increased by several million dollars a year. That is why the Legislature directed the Secretary of Administration to review the revenue and budget options in order to eliminate the need for ongoing General Fund subsidies. In short, I recommended staffing for a realistic number of residents and repurposing available space for things like linkages with Veterans’ Affairs, housing for homeless veterans, and additional private rooms. In addition, I reported it was not realistic to completely eliminate the need for General Fund support without identifying an alternative new revenue source and a couple of suggestions that had been made in this regard were a specific lottery game or a wholesale level fee “break open” tickets. To be clear, Gov. Shumlin will not be proposing any new fee or charge related to “break opens.”
Veterans’ groups, staff, management and the board of the Veterans’ Home, Bennington County, and Gov. Shumlin all share the same goal: Protecting the long-term ability of the Vermont Veterans’ Home to provide high quality care to all interested Vermont veterans and their families. Sometimes difficult decisions need to be made to achieve an important goal like that. There is plenty of good news to tell about the Veterans’ Home. We would all be well served sharing it. It does not help veterans or their home when unsubstantiated misinformation is publicly spread that ends up hurting the cause.
Our veterans served our country with distinction. They have our greatest respect, deserved for their sacrifice. Making changes designed to ensure that, despite challenging finances at the facility in recent years, the Vermont Veterans’ Home will be there for our veterans in the years ahead is the best thing we can do to honor those who have served our country so well.
