Cost, need for nursing home audit raises questions

Dec. 14--WARRENSBURG -- About 20 people had signed up or had already talked with a man conducting a "spot audit" at the Missouri Veterans Home-Warrensburg by noon Thursday.

A two-day audit of each of the seven Missouri Veterans Homes is being conducted at Gov. Eric Greitens' direction by a private nursing home company, Harmony Healthcare International, a Massachusetts-based health care consulting company.

An audit of the Missouri Veterans Home-St. Louis resulted in turning up complaints that led to a leadership purge, with Director Roland Carter being fired, replacement of several Missouri Veterans Commission members and state Director Larry Kay resigning Wednesday after Greitens called for his firing.

At the Warrensburg facility's entrance, none of the political tension seemed evident, with resident Curt Jenkins on the floor playing with Bo, a service dog.

"He works really hard at taking care of us," Jenkins said.

Janice Ferrel has brought Bo -- a purebred, "spoiled," golden retriever -- to the facility regularly over the past 18 months.

"The way Bo reacts with these guys brings tears to my eyes," Ferrel said. "He knows them well enough that he goes straight to their rooms."

Not far away from Bo sat several people who waited their turn to see the auditor. He met throughout the morning, one-on-one, behind a closed door with the home's staff, veterans and supporters, facility Assistant Administrator Jamie McCannon said.

"It's been overwhelming -- the support we've had in our community today," McCannon said.

Those seeing the auditor included Sen. Denny Hoskins, Rep. Dan Houx and Warrensburg Mayor Bryan Jacobs. Hoskins said he visits the home at least half a dozen times per year and never has a veteran, family member or staff member approached him about a problem.

"The quality of care is definitely top notch at the Warrensburg Veterans Home," he said, with caring leadership, staff and volunteers.

Regarding privatizing the state-run veterans homes, something that concerns area residents, Hoskins said he asked Greitens staff Thursday and received a flat denial.

"I would be against privatizing veterans homes," Hoskins said.

The spot audits are the results of complaints raised at the north St. Louis facility.

"The concerns include improper medication, particularly of antipsychotics; the inability to hire and retain quality personnel; a lack of transparency and honesty in investigating complaints; and a loss of faith between veterans and their families and the administration of the Missouri Veterans Commission," The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Facility leaders have a good idea what most people think about the services provided because they have been asked, McCannon said.

"We do family and veterans surveys annually and they have always turned out positive," she said.

Just outside the closed-door meeting with the auditor, dining room supervisor Scott Schill stood holding a tablet while asking two residents what they wanted for dinner. Schill suggested the apple brown betty, which is similar to a cobbler, for dessert. The veterans agreed with the choice.

Those waiting their turn to visit the auditor included Warrensburg resident Mike Shaw. He worried about whether he would have time for the meeting.

"I don't know why a facility with no complaints has to be audited by a private firm," he said. "It seems like a waste of taxpayers' money to me."

How much Harmony is being paid, whether they answered a bid process and why a Missouri company is not doing the audit are questions asked but not unanswered immediately by Greitens' office.

A facility volunteer, Ross Chambers, who planned to see the auditor, said he saw no need for the audit.

"The whole damned thing's bulls---. It's a waste of money," he said. "You visit any other care facility and then look at this -- this is a home."

___

(c)2017 The Daily Star-Journal (Warrensburg, Mo.)

Visit The Daily Star-Journal (Warrensburg, Mo.) at www.dailystarjournal.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.