ONLY ON NEWS FIVE TONIGHT...
THE V-A HAS COME UNDER FIRE IN RECENT YEARS FOR MAKING VETERANS WAIT MONTHS...
AND IN SOME CASES YEARS...
TO GET HEALTHCARE SERVICES...
BUT NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATES HAS DISCOVERED A RELATIVELY NEW PROGRAM TO HELP VETERANS GET THE CARE THEY NEED...WITHOUT THE HASSLE OF WAITING...
HERE'S CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERIC ROSS...
THE VETERAN IN CHARGE PROGRAM OR
"VIC" DOESN'T REPLACE V-A BENEFITS....BUT RATHER SUPPLEMENTS THEM.
IT ALLOWS VETERANS TO GET CAREGIVER SUPPORT, MEAL DELIVERIES, AND EVEN MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FOR FREE "OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY KEEP VETERANS IN THEIR HOME AND IN
THEIR COMMUNITY." MARSHA UNRUE WITH THE INDEPENDENCE CENTER OVERSEES A UNIQUE PROGRAM...
HELPING DISABLED VETERANS LIVE AS INDEPENDENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
"THREE THINGS WE SEE FROM VETERANS IS THAT THEY WANT TO LIVE IN THEIR HOME/COMMUNITY, THEY WANT TO BE INDEPENDENT AND THEY WANT TO STAY IN THEIR HOME UNTIL
THEY DIE." BART LONGRIE AND MARILYN MATHIS BELIEVE THE V-A IS TRYING TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE....BUT SAY IT'S A SLOW PROCESS.
"THEY TRY TO HELP AS MUCH AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BUT THEIR SCHEDULE AND WORKLOAD HAS IMPAIRED ME.
I CAN'T CALL THEM EVERYDAY AND
SAY I
GOT TO COME DOWN AND SEE YOU." THE VA DOESN'T HAVE ANYONE THAT COMES OUT TO CHECK ON ME.
THEY WILL CALL ME AND SAY HOW ARE YOU
DOING...BLAH...BLAH...BLAH BOTH VETERANS TURNED TO THE
INDEPENDENCE CENTER IN COLORADO SPRINGS FOR HELP AND ENROLLED IN THE VETERANS IN CHARGE PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE BENEFITS---FREE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
BART WAS ABLE TO GET A SPECIAL LIFT CHAIR TO HELP HIM LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME.
THE PROGRAM ALSO FUNDED A STAIR GLIDER CHAIR FOR MARILYN.
"VETERANS DO NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR THIS.
THE VA DETERMINES ELIGIBILITY." IF YOU'RE A VETERAN IN THE PIKES
PEAK REGION AND ALREADY RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM THE V-A....ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS APPLY FOR THE VETERAN IN CHARGE INITIATIVE.
IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING ACCESSIBILITY EQUIPMENT---THE PROGRAM ALSO ALLOWS VETERANS TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN CAREGIVERS.
"CAREGIVERS CAN BE THEIR SPOUSES.
THEY CAN BE CHILDREN, NEIGHBORS, RELATIVES AND TYPICALLY THEY ARE ALREADY TAKING CARE OF THAT VETERAN AND ARE NOT BEING PAID.
HERE THE VETERAN CAN DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO HIRE THEIR WIFE, SON, OR DAUGHTER TO HELP OUT WITH THIS AND GET A PAYCHECK
"THE FIRST PERSON THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS MY DAUGHTER.
SHE'S IN FLORIDA AND WHAT BETTER WAY FOR HER TO BE OUT HERE WITH ME AND T
HELP ME AT THE SAME TIME." MARILYN SAYS PRIOR TO ENROLLING IN THE PROGRAM---SHE HAD RANDOM HEALTH CARE WORKERS TAKE CARE OF HER....BUT EVEN THEN...SHE FELT LIKE A PRISONER IN HER OWN HOME.
"I COULDN'T GO FOR A RIDE IN THE CAR WITH THEM.
THEY COULDN'T TAKE ME SHOPPING.
THEY HAD TO GO DO IT FOR ME SO I WAS COOPED UP AT HOME.
WITH MY DAUGHTER HERE, SHE TAKES ME GROCERY SHOPPING AND TO MY DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS." 5:25 "IT'S GIVEN ME SOME CONFIDENCE IN
MYSELF TO WHERE I CAN GO OUT AND DO THINGS THAT I PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO ON MY OWN OR WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM ANYBODY." SHE SAYS THE PROGRAM HAS GIVEN HER A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AT A
TIME WHEN SHE FELT DEPRESSED AND HOPELESS.
MARILYN BELIEVES WITHOUT HELP FROM THE INDEPENDENCE CENTER AND THE VIC PROGRAM....
"I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
I WOULD'VE JUST DISAPPEARED AND "POOF" FROM MY CHAIR BECAUSE MY SELF ESTEEM STARTED FALLING AND I DIDN'T CARE.
LIFE DIDN'T MATTER TO ME BUT THEY STEPPED IN AND THEY KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO ME."
CAREGIVER SUPPORT AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ARE JUST TWO PERKS THE PROGRAM OFFERS.
IT ALSO PROVIDES HELP WITH TRANSPORTATION, ADULT DAY CARE, AND BETTER ACCESS TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
"I CAN GET ON THE PHONE AND SAY I'M NOT FEELING WELL CAN SOMEONE HELP ME AND I GET A CONTACT.
THE VA DOES TRY THEIR BEST BUT THEY ARE
NOT ALWAYS THERE TO HELP WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE."
SO FAR---ONLY ABOUT 100 VETERANS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE INDEPENDENCE CENTER.
IT'S A RELATIVE LOW NUMBER COMPARED TO THE VETERAN POPULATION IN THE PIKES PEAK REGION....
BUT MARILYN AND OTHERS AT THE INDEPENDENCE CENTER WANT YOU TO KNOW HELP IS AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED IT.
"ALL I CAN SAY IS I'M BLESSED AND I PLAN ON PASSING IT ON AND BLESSING SOMEONE ELSE.
IF YOU NEED HELP ENROLLING IN THE PROGRAM---WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ON OUR WEBSITE---KOAA DOT COM.
YOU'LL FIND THIS STORY ON THE HOME PAGE.
WATCHING OUT FOR VETERAN ERIC ROSS, NEWS 5 INVESTIGATES