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The VA Hospital social worker told me that there may not be an available bed for my husband in any of the nursing homes that the VA contracts with in the county where I live. I have tried to get my husband into the VA nursing home which is in the same building where he is currently an inpatient at the VA Hospital. He has a 100% service connected disability, but I was told that the VA operated Community Living Center director will not accept him for placement there because he is a carrier of VRE. Now I'm being told that there may not even be an available bed in any other nursing home that the VA contracts with in the ENTIRE county and that they might have to send him to another city. I moved my husband and myself to Syracuse, NY last fall to be close to the VA Hospital and now this social worker says they might have to look at sending him to a nursing home in Ithaca, NY! As if we're not crushed enough that he won't be able to come back home to live. How can they send him so far away from me?

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Go with Grandma1954's excellent advice.
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I'm sorry for your situation. I hope things work out and you get to see your husband often.
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Tour a facility of your choice & then offer private pay until you get your house ready
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Can you request that he be placed on a waiting list and when a bed becomes available he could move back? I know moves are difficult in the best of circumstances but other than private pay it might be your best option.
Or would it be possible that you could keep him at home and have caregivers come in? Look into a program called VIP it is designed to keep Veterans in their homes as long as possible. The Veteran is evaluated as to the help that is needed and a "budget" is set and you have that money to spend for caregivers and other needs. You would get the equipment from the VA, you could ask for Home Based Primary Care so doctors, nurses, and the rest of the "team" would come to you rather than you getting him to the VA if transportation is problematic. You would have to hire caregivers on your own and for me that was the most difficult part. I did contact the local Community College and asked the Director of the Nursing program if there were any CNA's that had recently graduated that would want to work privately. I got two of the best people!
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I have been a manager in a Community Living Center (CLC). Unfortunately, the demand for beds in the CLC often exceeds the availability. Contract homes are often limited as well. In my CLC, there were veterans whose nearest family members were hours away. The nearest contract homes were 30, 90, and 120 miles away from our VA. Although a veteran may be eligible for VA-paid long-term care, the VA does not guarantee where that care will be provided. There are often waiting lists for some locations, and not all VA CLC's offer the same services (some CLC's do not provide long-term care at all). If you do not wish to have your husband so far away, you may have to consider using long-term care insurance if you have it; or pay out of pocket (which is costly) for a nursing facility of your choice; or move again. I sorry for the situation you have encountered, but it is not uncommon. Have you inquired about State Veterans Homes in your area?
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