Va Takes Heat For Suicides

[boomer2]

Check link

http://www.military.com/news/article/va-takes-heat-for-suicide-prevention-struggles.html?ESRC=eb.nl

[Berta]

Family members are getting fed up enough to Sue:

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/index.php/veterans-category-articles/2586-kristin-hall

In the second case at the right hand side , the widow asked for 10 Million.I don't think that is enough.Then again whatever award might be obtained-it is meaningless when one considers what an FTCA award represents.

My husband's 1151 claim and then my FTCA claim had,as the initial focus, the fact that his PTSD was not being treated properly by VA and he stated in the last paragraph of his 1151 claim that, since his PTSD treatment was so inappropriate he feared the VA would also cause his death by misdiagnosing heart disease or causing him to have another major stroke.(which had been misdiagnosed for about a month)

The final reports from OGC reveal he was right on the heart disease and his stroke and they became 1151 and now IHD and CVA are Directly SCED due to an additional malpracticed condition he had, by VA award of last year.

When the VA settled with me, they never made any reference at all to his PTSD charges or to mine.I had stated along with my evidence of malpractice for the FTCA case that his SC PTSD rated at 100% P & T posthumously back to 3 years before he died (with only a 30 % rating and a pending appeal on that in is lifetime) proved the VA was negligent in properly assessing the extent of his PTSD and that if he didnt have PTSD from the Vietnam War he would have went to a real doctor for all of his medical care but he felt the VA knew how to treat his PTSD better then any civilian shrink would.

I expect a AO IHD decision soon.The medical evidence would warrant 60% due to an ECHO.I told them to keep the 60% and , after having found additional medical evidence that even the OGC didnt consider for the FTCA claim-I want a 100% rating for

his IHD for part of the period between the ECHO and his death with this additional medical evidence of record sionce Aug 1994 which VA has never considered.I also can use med recs from the PTSD inhouse program to support that.

I guess my point here is that PTSD ,if not treated properly by the VA, can cause additional disability and death.

I never griped about that part of my FTCA award but I sure will if my Nehmer claim is wrong.

It takes either a strong IMO or some profound medical evidence from the record to prove PTSD can cause additional disability

or death from suicide or any other cause-however- if the standard of proper treatment has not been met by the VA, comparable to similiar care in the entire medical community, the VA , as shown above, can be sued.

I only know of one case where a vet sued under FTCA for PTSD.But these cases are not public record so there are surely more of them.

This case got national attention when the doctor who caused the veteran's PTSD via sexual harrassment had to give testimony on it that became public.

[john999]

I don't think these VA personnel have a clue how to pick up on suicidal intent. They sometimes read from a sheet asking you if you want to hurt yourself. How many people are going to say "Yes" knowing the next stop may be the rubber room.

[scscrewed]

On November 10, 2011 three different doctors at three different medical appointments did the screening with me. The questions basically were are you having thoughts of harming yourself: yes; have you attempted to commit suicide in the past: yes; do you currently have a plan to commit suicide: refused to answer; can you promise me that you won't try to hurt yourself before our next appointment: now doc how can I promise that. I have been thinking of killing myself since last Tuesday.

They then turned to mom. Mom you can watch to make sure he doesn't do anything right and just bring him in if your worried. She nods, tears in her eyes.

Then on the 19th I try to convince myself to take a bottle of ambien. I take some of it, but I can't take all of it. I got interrupted, but not caught. I then started thinking about wheeling my chair out in front of the one of the semis that cruise by the house.

Meet with the shrink on Dec. 2 and he brings his kids into saying that if I kill myself that it will hurt so many more people that I can imagine. His kids would wonder why he got fired, because the National VA would come down on the local and he would lose his job.

You know, that if you dose up a person with suicidal thoughts with lithium that it reduces and eliminates the thoughts. Takes about 72 hours. It's cheaper to send me home and flip the coin.

But you are right John, not many people will answer yes, and even answering yes doesn't even matter.

Edited December 5, 2011 by scscrewed

[hedgey]

Hell, I'm right there with you, I tell my therapist every damn session that I'm one frizzy thread of an unraveling rope away from jumping the jump. I tell him about my different plans; he calmly tells me why they would be likely to fail and leave me paralyzed or a vegetable.

My progress notes all say that I deny suicidal ideation. What the blazes do they call the fantasies of peace and silence? What do they call sitting on the side of the bed holding the dang gun and wondering how to keep the mess to a minimum?

Why, why, why does the VA not want to acknowledge this? Why isn't in my notes?

My DH says to be glad they leave it out, he thinks it would raise flags. I think a few homicidal intents might do that, but if the shrink ain't worried I'll come after him, what's the difference?

Sorry. I don't think I"m quite coherent... Serequel makes me dizzy (whoa, seriously) and a bit clumsy in the thought process department. Yay for spell check!

[john999]

I think the inadequate care for suicidal vets is due to costs. It costs alot to admit a vet to the rubber room. I know doctors have some legal responsibility to protect suicidal or homocidal vets from themselves. It has got to be about money. The VA is trying to save money at the costs of a certain number of suicides they find acceptable.

[scscrewed]

Tape recorders d---- it TAPE RECORDERS. We need to tape record every conversation we have with them, because they're like truckers and they fudge the books. Check your state law to see if your one party or two party. If your are one party state like Ohio only one person in the room needs to know that the recorder is on

These are the two party states,

Eleven states currently require that all parties consent to the recording. These states are:

• California
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Illinois (--if you're in the conversation --active participant you can record-- but no eavesdropping)
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• Pennsylvania
• Washington

So you cannot record your doctor in these states, because you go to jail, but in Illinois you can, but it's against the statute but not against case law, go figure.

Again record your conversations with your VA doctor because they lie and write down fantasy that bite you in Chaucer's nethereye. However, don't do it in the above states, because you may go to prison. And this is my opinion and in no way constitutes legal advice or recommendations on actions or behaviors others should conduct themselves in.

And yes John they are trying to save money in 1999 average stay was 333 per night. I can't find the numbers right now, but I have stayed since my injury eleven months total in VA hospitals. So, that's expensive as hell.

Edited December 6, 2011 by scscrewed