Okay guys and gals,

I know there is something out there to help a fellow veteran who is in need of a place to live, assistance in getting service connected and the medical attention necessary.

My uncle is a Vietnam veteran who has terrible nightmares of killing a nine year old boy one night during his journey in SW Asia. He was a marine and in country over nine months the first time and over a year the second time. He currently is homeless, broke, unemployable due to alcoholism, and of course dependent on the alcohol because of the undiagnosed PTSD.

Now, being a veterans wife, I know this man should be service connected and obviously has been grossly underserved since the Vietnam war. The last time he was hospitalized was in 1997 for alcohol rehab related to flashbacks. HELLO? Where the hell were the medical professionals at the VA medical center who should have service connected him for PTSD then? They had him in rehab for thirty days and didn't take care of this? I am very frustrated because of what happened today with him and his kids when visiting our VA medical center in Dayton Ohio. His kids told them that their dad is not showering, he has been evicted from his apartment, he is unemployed, he is not eating, and he is not doing well in general. In fact, he didn't want to go to the VA because "they never do anything for me there anyway" I am shocked at the response of the ER staff. The ER doctor said we don't house you just because you are homeless, get a job. Hello? what the hell? Oh, we can get you into alcohol rehab again in about sixty days, how can we contact you? WHAT? He is homeless! Okay, then the next thing was since you didn't bring your 214 with you, we have to assume you were never in Vietnam and you therefore do not have PTSD, but have depression. Okay, that was the last straw for me because what I was hearing was the center in Dayton Ohio, who claims to put veterans first was turning this one back on the street to be homeless tonight. His daughter and son both live on fixed incomes and can not take their dad in. I am too full in my house to take him in too. But I know there has to be something that these people can do to help him. I could not believe they would treat him this way, and then to keep them 11 hours in the ER for that BS is rediculus.

I have instructed his kids to get copies of all his medical records from that center since he started there as a veteran, 1976, just a year after he was honorably discharged from the marine corps. I then told them to not stop there with the ER visit, they don't want their dad to be put in the psych ward, but I have told them that in order for him to get PTSD and to get treated, he will have to have a psych eval and that being in the center would be the best thing for him and the medical staff to provide adequate observation as he is dried out again. I was shocked when my cousin told me the ER doctor said that they could keep their dad three days for observation, but they are not equiped to be a homeless shelter and since he only suffers from depression, there is no need for further services. WHAT? I have a social work degree and I know that it takes time and counseling and observation to determine depression as the only mental illness. Who was this quack? Where did the VA dig him up from? I am disgusted that I suggested they take their dad to the Dayton VA. I have suggested they contact Dr Arnot, the person who overseas the PTSD program directly and see if she would meet with them and possibly set up an evaluation. Who knows. I am just trying to think of anything that may help to keep this man off the street, from being a burden to society and get the things he is entitled to. It makes me sick that our veterans are treated with such disrespect. I am horrified today.

So here I am writing to all of you. Can any of you help me out here? We contacted the VFW VSO at the medical center and he was just as disrespectful as the ER. That was a joke. So, I have told the kids not to give up or give in the VA crap, to continue to take their dad back to the center and insist that someone do something now, not tomorrow, not next week or next month, but now. My uncle is ready to get the care, he just doesn't have it available to him. I am floored when the VA did his glaucoma surgery last year and they have been taking care of his eyes for the past 20 years, why can they not take care of his mental health too? Where are the ethics here? Doesn't anyone do a full evaluation of systems when a patient comes for a visit anymore?

If you have any ideas that may help out in this situation, please let me know as soon as possible. Also, I have noticed that the emails for this group are taking sometimes several days to filter through, is there a problem with our group email?

Thank you again,

Valerie

937-615=1131 if anyone wishes to phone me on this matter.