Dear Sgt. Shaft:

What places are available for long-term care for retired military personnel in Texas? We have a patient who will need long-term care. Please let me know what is available or whom to contact.

Thank you,

Jade Yost
Administrative assistant,
Retirement and Nursing Center

Dear Jade:

The top doctors at VA provided me with the following information:

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a spectrum of long-term-care services for eligible veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. The spectrum includes in-home, community-based and limited residential (nursing home) services. Many older veterans are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and some long-term-care services may be available through those programs, depending upon state regulations.

Because your correspondent did not indicate her location, I am unable to be specific about the particular services that might be available in the community where the veteran resides. I would recommend she contact the Social Work Service at the VA Medical Center nearest to her to explore the options that might be available to the veteran in their community through the VA as well as the state agency and Medicare/Medicaid.

Shaft notes:

• The Veterans Day National Committee is seeking submissions for the 2008 national Veterans Day poster. The poster is distributed to more than 110,000 schools nationwide, military installations around the world, and federal agencies in the nation"s capital. It also graces the cover of the official program booklet for the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The committee will convene in May to review all submissions and select a finalist. The deadline for submissions is May 1. To view Veterans Day posters from previous years, visit www.va.gov/vetsday. Submissions should include sufficient information to demonstrate that the image is the work of the artist and is not copyrighted material (i.e. photos and concepts). The committee may select a particular submission but ask the artist to make modifications to the original design. Additional changes may be required prior to printing.

• I was heartened to see James B. Peake, newly appointed secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and hundreds of volunteers lending a helping hand to area homeless vets at a recent health and job fair.

The event was sponsored by the D.C. VA Medical Center and provided medical screenings, mental health consultations, employment support and housing services to eligible homeless veterans.

Medical screenings included flu shots, as well as cholesterol, hepatitis C, prostate, HIV and general physical exams. Consultative services included ophthalmology, podiatry, infectious diseases, oral health and women"s health. Psychosocial referrals for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse also were offered.

Employment support provided by DCVAMC compensated work therapy, by area vocational rehabilitation programs, and by the D.C. Coalition for the Homeless. The Veterans Benefits Administration provided VA benefits guidance. Chaplain service was on hand for counseling. Hot meals, haircuts, warm clothing, clothing tokens for thrift stores and comfort items were provided.

• An attaboy to the Department of Veterans Affairs for its favorable review in an interim report published by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The report credits organizational restructuring and management systems, performance measurement and information technology as contributors to VA's success. It also outlines ways in which VA can continue serving as a model for other health care systems.

"It is gratifying to receive such a positive appraisal from CBO," said Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake. "It is a tribute to the men and women of VA who have worked hard to ensure America"s veterans receive world-class health care."

In continuing to care for those who served, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing hospice and palliative care to a growing number of veterans throughout the country as the need continues to rise for care and comfort at the end of life.

• Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax 301/622-3330; call 202/257-5446; or e-mail sgtshaft@bavf.org.