LANSING (WKZO-AM) — Republican lawmakers are angrily promising investigations following a summary of a scathing audit of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans that will be released on Friday.
The audit shows understaffing, poor bookkeeping and patient neglect is rampant at the facility, which is tasked with caring for disabled veterans.
Kenneth Hammond, who has lived at the facility for over five years, can vouch for that.
“The ‘call’ light stays on for ages before anybody goes in to check to see what the problem is,” Hammond said. “That could be somebody needing help putting their socks on to something as bad as somebody having a heart attack.”
Rep. Holly Hughes, R-Montague, who sits on the Veterans Affairs Committee, is one of the many calling for hearings.
“If that means some people have to be fired, that’s what we’re going to do,” Hughes said. “We are not going to put up with this.”
Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon is calling Republicans hypocrites because they slashed $4 million from the budget for veterans homes and brought in privatized staff.
The audit said the contractor has been understaffing the facility 80 percent of the time.
– John McNeill
