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The State Veterans’ Home Program is a partnership between the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs (USDVA) and the State to construct nursing home facilities approved by the USDVA. It provides services for veterans disabled by age, disease, or otherwise who, by reason of such disability, are incapable of earning a living.
In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature created the Texas State Veterans’ Home Program authorizing the Veterans’ Land Board of Texas (VLB) to construct, operate and maintain state veterans’ homes. Currently, the State of Texas owns and operates four veterans’ homes located in Bonham, Temple, Big Spring and Floresville, each with 160 beds. Land Commissioner David Dewhurst heads the agency responsible for constructing these first four homes.
The state’s veterans’ homes provide skilled nursing care to veterans, veterans’ spouses and Gold Star parents. Texas is one of 43 states with state veterans’ homes. The USDVA supports the veterans’ home program through two grant programs. Under these programs, the USDVA participates in up to sixty-five percent of the costs of construction or acquisition of a state veterans’ home and provides per diem payments to the state for care of veterans in the homes.
The USDVA has committed funding for the construction of up to two additional veterans’ homes in Texas. The State of Texas also has pending with the USDVA applications for funding for the construction of five additional veterans’ homes in future fiscal years.
Texas State Veterans Homes boast a high health care professional-to-resident ratio, which means a higher level of care. The homes are medicare and medicaid certified and are designed with the latest advancements. Health services include wound care, therapeutic activities, hospice care and respite care. A large, well-equipped physical and occupational therapy room offers the latest in rehabilitative care. Speech therapy is also available. Each home also has a 32-bed Alzheimer unit, and representatives of the Texas Veterans Land Board and the Texas Veterans’ Commission are on-site to act as ombudsmen to residents and family members.
For more information, please write my Capitol office at P. O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768 or contact a Texas Veterans’ Commission representative at 1-800-252-VETS (8387). You may also write to the following address: David Dewhurst - Chairman, Texas Veterans Land Board, P.O. Box 12873, Austin, Texas 78711-2873. The agency website is www.glo.state.tx.us and click on “Veterans Land Board.”
State Representative Ron Clark
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
(903) 893-9426 * (512) 463-0474
(512) 475-3767 (fax)
ron.clark@house.state.tx.us
http://www.grayson.edu/district62/RonClark.html
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