[F16 1UB]

On Tuesday, Feb 25, 2014 at a Sumter County Commission meeting held at Colony Rec Center, it was mentioned that a veterans nursing home health care facility is planned to be built in 1 of 3 counties....Sumter, Marion, or Putnam. The click was to have the County donate 20 acres for this facility. The Commission agreed that even though Sumter County may have a need because of the amount of veterans that reside within, there are plenty of health care facilities available and more planned. The Commission also agreed that Marion County would be more suited because of the centralized location.

Did I over look this in the Daily Sun or the Village News web site? Did I?

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by F16 1UB

On Tuesday, Feb 25, 2014 at a Sumter County Commission meeting held at Colony Rec Center, it was mentioned that a veterans nursing home health care facility is planned to be built in 1 of 3 counties....Sumter, Marion, or Putnam. The click was to have the County donate 20 acres for this facility. The Commission agreed that even though Sumter County may have a need because of the amount of veterans that reside within, there are plenty of health care facilities available and more planned. The Commission also agreed that Marion County would be more suited because of the centralized location.

Did I over look this in the Daily Sun or the Village News web site? Did I?

I was not aware that the county had any input or chance to say "no" to this. I think it is a state project.....last I heard getting the millions needed through the already challanged budget would be the tough area.

Did not know that the county was required to donate land.....interesting !!

[gomoho]

Shame on Sumter county - there may be lots of beds available but they are not offered to Vets without cost. I am sorry to hear this - what is 20 acres in the grand scheme of their tax base??? Wish the Morse family would step up and donate 20 acres they have lying around in Sumter as a donation to Vets, but probably not gonna happen since they don't see the need to offer VA loans.

[buggyone]

VA nursing homes are a State, not county, operation.

Currently, there are 6 VA nursing homes with a total of 850 beds.

It would be doubtful if any veteran living in The Villages would qualify for one of these spaces based on financial need.

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by buggyone

VA nursing homes are a State, not county, operation.

Currently, there are 6 VA nursing homes with a total of 850 beds.

It would be doubtful if any veteran living in The Villages would qualify for one of these spaces based on financial need.

Where are these 850 beds and I think you are wrong about qualifying for them - not as difficult as you might think.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by buggyone

VA nursing homes are a State, not county, operation.

Currently, there are 6 VA nursing homes with a total of 850 beds.

It would be doubtful if any veteran living in The Villages would qualify for one of these spaces based on financial need.

According to The Villages on-line news, there are six VA nursing homes, as Buggy stated, for a population of 1.5 million veterans in Florida. This is the third highest number of veterans in the country. With all the veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, this number seems totally inadequate.

Read the article on their web-site, and thank all of you for your service.

[GatorFan]

The family donated the land for the VA clinic on Hwy 42. They donated the land for the Lady Lake Elementary school on Rolling Acres Road. I am sure there is much more. I agree Marion County is a better location.

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by GatorFan

The family donated the land for the VA clinic on Hwy 42. They donated the land for the Lady Lake Elementary school on Rolling Acres Road. I am sure there is much more. I agree Marion County is a better location.

That is awesome - wouldn't it be wonderful if they donated a location for a VA home in Sumter, Lake and Marion counties. They are certainly needed.

[TraceyMooreRN]

What Sumter County needs is a Long Term Care facility of high quality nursing care for those that can't afford LTC. It was sad when I was working for Freedom Pointe seeing many Villagers who lost their insurance, dropped their insurance, never secured their insurance or for whatever reason could not afford the expensive cost of LTC. These were also parents of Villagers brought down here to live with relatives- just to realize they couldn't take on the task due to parental health declining.
The patients families would spend days searching for LTC facility with (no smells, clean environment, safety of residents)--only to find they almost all had waiting list. Sad to say- but the need is LTC facility in Sumter County with (Village beauty and quality) that take Medicaid who can assist our Villagers and families.

[renielarson]

Approximately 16% of Villagers are Viet Nam Veterans (17,000) based on a 96,000 total population. VVA Chapter 1036 The Villages FL 32162

There are 6 VA Nursing Homes in Florida.

• Panama City at 307.7 miles away
• Pembroke Pines at 269.07 miles away
• Charlotte at 181.33 miles away
• St. Augustine at 112.49 miles away
• Daytona Beach at 73.44 miles away
• Land O' Lakes at 70.29 miles away

1 out of about every 5 1/2 people living in The Villages is a Veteran, if my math is correct. I am not a mathematician so you might want to double check my calculation.

I would bet we have one of the highest concentrations of Veterans living here than anywhere else in the United States. I didn't confirm this and am only guessing so correct me if I'm wrong.

I just don't understand why there would be any debate among the counties as to locating VA nursing homes (yes, I mean more than 1) here.

[buggyone]

As stated before, these are State run nursing homes. Best idea is to lobby your State (not Federal) representatives about it.

Also, read the criteria for admittance to a VA nursing home. You have to pay the daily rate until basically all your money is used and you then qualify for Medicaid and the taxpayer pays at that point. They also do take LTC insurance but how many people have that?