Staying independent and connected with your community 

VA is doing a great job.

I am suffering from potential dementia as I have recently had memory issues that started shortly after I had my second COVID case. There are so many types of injections that may help treat the dementia such as shingles, pneumonia, etc., but my assigned VA physician’s nurse only laughed at me when I asked about the possibilities of having added shots to help “treat” my potential dementia. I realize President Trump is ready to cut VA funding, and all physicians are having doubts on what causes dementia, so there is nothing I can do but suffer.

I recently got 2 community care referrals from the VA for home assisted care after being hospitalized, a stint in rehab then discharged home with a leg cast. One gal came out thinking she was just going to sit for a demented elder and brought her knitting. She did a little housework but had a 2 hour break. Next visit she called 1 hour before the scheduled visit, telling me she wasn’t coming because she forgot another appointment. Then she showed up one day unannounced and I told her she broke my trust and that I didn’t feel that I could rely on her. Also if she had scheduling problems she should discuss it with her boss but not give clients a 1 hour notice. She went back and told her supervisor I was aggressive and nasty with her and cussed her out, all a blatant lie. I was nothing but kind and patient with this person. Another agency, another disappointment. A big gal comes out in tight leggings outlining her body contours, a Tshirt and braless. The clothing I won’t argue about because there was some house cleaning to do, but this wasn’t a slumber party so I expect a person to come on the job with underclothing. After a lengthy and thorough description of what needed to be done I kept finding this woman sitting in the couch. She only vacuumed 1/2 of the floor, mopped only a portion of the kitchen. She couldn’t run a sanitizer wash for the dishwasher because she couldn’t read the label. So I did some probing to get more information. She had recently been discharged from the hospital for pneumonia and put me at risk for illness. She was getting steroid injections in her eyes to keep from going blind, yet she was still driving and going to job sites. She insisted that I sign HER phone rather than the usual job issued tablet because she can’t see the print on the job issued tablet. There’s so much legal liability here that I can’t begin to count. We are put at risk in our own homes, we are slandered and violated without recourse. Yet the agency can blacklist us for a lie perpetrated by their workers.
And none of this was due to a failing on my part as I had been through and specific with the supervisor during the interview process, repeating the same info to the employee when they came to my home. I am afraid to have anyone else come out. I am renting the place that I’m at, and the landlord is concerned about the caliber of individuals coming onto her property, and rightly so.
In like manner with the above narrative, I had home physical therapy services ordered by the VA. I got harassed by one therapist with snide remarks about me not working hard enough and that my leg pain was due to wearing crocs or tight muscles and I couldn’t possibly have the amount of pain I was describing, otherwise I’d be screaming in the ER. Previously I had made 1 community hospital ER visit and 3 visits to the VA ER with 4 X-rays and 4 ultrasounds only to be told everything was normal. I had a transverse tibial fracture. Naturally this time I was hesitant about going to the VA ER. I finally went to a walk in Ortho clinic. I had a new fracture opposite from the original site, same leg, same bone. Yet, I’m the problem? Who do we trust?
When I gave the X-ray films on disc to the Ortho doctor at the VA, he laughed and said I didn’t have a fracture. He said, “I’ll bet you went into some clinic, saw some PA who told you you have a fracture, right? That’s not a fracture.” I have had 2 community Ortho doctors and my Endocrinologist verify it was indeed a fracture. That’s 3 doctors and 2 PAs validating a fracture, so who’s wrong? How much more pain and suffering do I have to endure? How much more ridicule and negligent medical treatment?
The VA doctor called an orthotic company to have them make me a fitted brace. The orthotics company called and told me to come in the next day since the order was pegged as urgent. The VA Ortho Clinic never called me, community care never called me, so what’s up if there is no fracture and how dare this doctor assume I have private insurance that will cover the device? How do you do something like this without telling the patient? Or going through the proper channels?
I’m currently suffering severe neuropathies and muscle spasms due to delayed back surgery on top of all of this and no referrals to a neurologist or spine specialist. The neurosurgeon won’t see me because he claims my problems are all medical, not surgical. No advocacy whatsoever. Even as a lifetime member of DAV, I haven’t got a single phone call or visit. Seems like they got their money, they got credit for recruitment, that’s all that matters. No one is concerned that I haven’t been to any meetings in 5 months.

No taxes on tips! Call Trump now!

We all know someone—a friend or family member—who is struggling to make ends meet, unable to achieve their dreams because restaurants take a cut of their hard-earned tips. Demand action!

Call Trump now and urge him to pass the No Tax on Tips Law!