Voc Rehab 'Independent Living' or simply NIGHTMARE?!

[WomanMarine]

In Feb of 2018 I had an accident where my back went out on my and my left side became paralysed. I spent two weeks in the hospital relearning how to walk with a walker. I also became incontentine because of the nerve damage. I eventually regained some feeling in my left side and now am able to walk with a cane, but still have footdrop.

In January of 2019 I had a counselor come to my 'unfinished' home, for an appt on Independent Living. He made several suggestions, including an SAH/HISA grants, scooters, lift chair and hospital bed. My VR counselor wrote up the items and sent them to my, then current, primary. My primary ignored them. VR then said they could do nothing for me until my primary complied; so they closed my case.

I got a new primary, as I moved to the Womens Clinic and reopened my claim. Rather than going back and submitting the paperwork to my new primary, VR decided I needed a new home visit. I complied. The suggestions came back similar to the original visit. 

Here comes CV19 and my VR counselor is 'working from home' and does not have her notes and I have to start all over again!

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My VR counselor, Kerita Anakoro:
As you know everyone in our office was sent home due to Covid-19 in March.  We are now working from home and I need to communicate with you once again in order to move forward with your IL needs. Our files (which I had all my notes), are no longer available.  In other words, we have to start from the beginning again. This meeting will review your IL needs based on your report and move forward.

 

MY response:

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Ms. Anakoro,

So let me get this straight ... 

After being in the VR program for over two years, meeting with two counselors @ my home, plus meetings in St. Louis ... and now we are starting over?

What happened to the help that I was to receive?

 

I have NO CLUE what VR is up to ...

My situation has changed since I last spoke to her in April. My cousin, a veteran, who is now living in V.A. assisted living, wants to live with me and is appointing me as his guardian. I have no idea how to deal with this, as it would require new modifications, as he is pretty much in the same boat as me ... except he uses TWO canes ...

In November I had to have a quad-by-pass, because of the dioxin and agent orange. Due to the fact I had this surgery at a private hospital, referred by VA, they did not provide me medication upon my discharge ... They thought the VA would. Because of this and not knowing how important this medication was; I went without. This caused me to be hospitalized again, because my surgery did not take and I needed to have FIVE stents. 

I can't understand, how to the V.A., Veterans seem to be second class citizens. 

Any suggestions of how to get them to do their job?

 

 

[WomanMarine]

@broncovet

I have been fighting with V.A. ever since my discharge. I am discouraged when I see people that work for the V.A., probably as long as I have been trying to get my benefits, and they simply don't do their job! I think about other vets that have been denied and went onto and die without help that they are mandated to provide. Their medical service is as much as a joke as their benefit department! 

Last year I had to have a quadruple by-pass. I had it though the Choice Act. The private doctor did not know that the V.A. would not fill my prescriptions and I was sent home without them. One of the pills was a blood thinner. Two week later I had another heart attack because of this error and had to go back in and have five stents.

A few months earlier, because of my drop foot and the V.A. denying me a HISA that has been suggested by TWO of their counselors, I fell and broke three ribs.

When is enough, enough?

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by WomanMarine
typo

[WomanMarine]

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One of VA’s oldest benefits – Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) – is now the Veteran Readiness and Employment Service. The service office will remain abbreviated VR&E, but the new name reemphasizes VBA’s mission to encourage, promote and support transitioning and service-connected disabled Veterans’ employment goals.

https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/76632/vre-gets-new-name-focuses-readiness/

From the comments:

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VR&E is a joke there program is set up to make you fail. If anyway possible avoid there services at all cost. They do not want to help veterans. If anything it should us as veterans protesting against the corrupt bureaucrats that set veterans up for failure. Take my word for it stay away from VR&E.

 

[WomanMarine]

On 7/8/2020 at 1:56 AM, Ddsr said:

It is very important that you find out who your VR Counselor's Supervisor is and contact that person to explain what your concern's are.

I had my appt this morning, although late, as she had an 'urgent' call ... Had I not had my counselors report; she would have had to send out ANOTHER to my home. I told her I would send the report. But the whole thing stinks! 

She started working from home when we had our last appt. Now she says she 'Lost her notes' ... I reminded her that she was @ home for our last appt, where she took her notes ... She started 'stammering' ... "well I had to had them over to my supervisor" ...  

According to her VR no longer does lift chairs.

How do I find out who her supervisor is? I did call WH hotline and they have referred me to a VISN, who doesn't seem to want to help too much.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the counselor wrote several times in my report that I manage a FB forum for Trump ...

[Vync]

3 hours ago, WomanMarine said:

I had my appt this morning, although late, as she had an 'urgent' call ... Had I not had my counselors report; she would have had to send out ANOTHER to my home. I told her I would send the report. But the whole thing stinks! 

She started working from home when we had our last appt. Now she says she 'Lost her notes' ... I reminded her that she was @ home for our last appt, where she took her notes ... She started 'stammering' ... "well I had to had them over to my supervisor" ...  

According to her VR no longer does lift chairs.

How do I find out who her supervisor is? I did call WH hotline and they have referred me to a VISN, who doesn't seem to want to help too much.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the counselor wrote several times in my report that I manage a FB forum for Trump ...

The stammering part sounds like they know they screwed something up.

Did your counselor give you a callback number? You could call them back and ask the name of their supervisor and their contact number (or ask them to contact you).

Managing a FB forum for any political candidate (regardless of political party) should have no bearing on the situation. If you feel they might be intentionally sabotaging your ILP claim because of it, I recommend you can the WH VA Hotline again. From what I learned, there's regular complaints which is like the one you placed. However, there are executive complaints that do directly to the VA Secretary's office. They will determine if it needs to be handled directly or delegated. It also puts the issue on their radar. If it is something that impacts only me, I use the regular complaint. If it is something serious or could impact other vets, I request the executive complaint.

I'm not an ILP expert and have never requested ILP assistance, but have read here and elsewhere that what one counselor denies, others may approve. I have read where a veteran was told that they could not get a riding lawnmower approved, but others did. I assume that some things cannot be approved at lower levels, but might at upper levels. Don't give up on the lift chair just yet.

 

[WomanMarine]

Just now, Vync said:

Managing a FB forum for any political candidate (regardless of political party) should have no bearing on the situation. If you feel they might be intentionally sabotaging your ILP claim because of it, I recommend you can the WH VA Hotline again. From what I learned, there's regular complaints which is like the one you placed. However, there are executive complaints that do directly to the VA Secretary's office. They will determine if it needs to be handled directly or delegated. It also puts the issue on their radar. If it is something that impacts only me, I use the regular complaint. If it is something serious or could impact other vets, I request the executive complaint.

I'm not an ILP expert and have never requested ILP assistance, but have read here and elsewhere that what one counselor denies, others may approve. I have read where a veteran was told that they could not get a riding lawnmower approved, but others did. I assume that some things cannot be approved at lower levels, but might at upper levels. Don't give up on the lift chair just yet.

 

I am a Marine @Vync we don't give up ...

I have filed ANOTHER complaint with WH Hotline.

[WomanMarine]

@Vync you are correct there is an executive complaint.

I requested that my complaint be upgraded ...