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STATE AUDIT CRITICAL OF CALIFORNIA VETERANS' HOME --
Yountville home needs stronger planning and
oversight,
and must meet ADA standards.
Veterans' Home at Yountville, California
For more about the Yountville Home, use the VA
Watchdog search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=yountville&op=and
Story here...
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articl
es/2008/04/24/news/local/doc4810e17042bc2751693254.txt
Story below:
-------------------------
State audit critical of Vets Home
Charges include facility does not meet ADA
requirements
By JILLIAN JONES
Napa Valley Register
The Veterans Home of California at Yountville
needs stronger planning and oversight, according to an audit released
Thursday by the California State Auditor. The audit cites inadequate
oversight of medical equipment, and criticizes Vets Home processes for
handling complaints and recruiting nurses.
The audit charges that the Veterans Home, home to more than 1,000
California veterans, does not meet requirements under the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
In a review of the Veterans Home, its health care and accommodations of
members with disabilities, the office of the California State Auditor
found:
— The Veterans Home cannot ensure that medical
equipment is working properly, or that payments to its contractors are
appropriate, “due to its weak contract oversight, including an inaccurate
inventory of its medical equipment.”
— The Veterans Home has not met the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act specified by federal regulations since 1992, according to
the report.
— Chronic shortages in key health care positions limit the Veterans Home’s
ability to serve more veterans, said the audit. The shortage has resulted
in excessive overtime, “which could compromise patient safety.”
In fiscal year 2006-07, nursing positions accounted for 41.5 percent of
all vacancies.
— Low salaries and the high cost of housing hinder the Veterans Home’s
ability to recruit and retain staff in health care positions. The audit
claims the Veterans Home lacks a coordinated and comprehensive strategy
for addressing recruitment and retention.
— Inefficiencies in the Veterans Home’s recruitment program contribute to
its staffing problems, which the audit describes as “decentralized
recruitment, overlapping responsibilities, limited information, and
lengthy recruitment processes.”
— Public Health does not always promptly complete its investigations of
complaints filed against the Veterans Home, the audit said. For three of
the nine complaints reviewed, it took from 45-110 days to complete the
investigation. For another complaint filed more than a year ago, Public
Health has not determined whether to issue a citation to the Veterans
Home.
— For five complaints the Veterans Board received, neither the Veterans
Board nor Veterans Affairs have evidence of investigation. Of the 25
reviewed complaints regarding code of conduct, the Veterans Home had
complete documentation for only 11 cases.
The report provides recommendations to improve filling vacancies,
retaining staff and reducing excessive overtime. It recommends that the
Veterans Home properly maintain medical equipment and meet ADA
requirements. Complaints filed against the Veterans Home should be
promptly investigated and resolved, according to the audit, and all should
be adequately documented.
The entire audit and an executive summary can be found online at
www.bsa.ca.gov
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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