Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWEB) February 29, 2016 -- The Indiana Health Care Association/Indiana Center for Assisted Living (IHCA/INCAL) and the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) have partnered on a new initiative to promote veteran care in IHCA/INCAL member facilities by providing important information on veteran care programs and advancing recognition of the issues affecting veterans.
With a belief that the health care of veterans can be maintained through a better understanding of programs currently available to them, the IDVA plans to travel the state and visit facilities. During these visits, department representatives will meet with veteran residents and their families. They will also work with providers to do the following:
• Provide a better understanding of the difference between state and federal veterans care programs
• Answer questions pertaining to veterans issues as they relate to state benefits
• Share helpful IDVA literature and resources
• Learn more from providers about the challenges related to veteran care and how they might be improved
These visits are strictly informative. The IDVA does not represent the federal government, county government or insurance companies. The representatives who conduct these visits are not inspectors or investigators.
“We are proud to support the IDVA in this important effort and encourage our members to participate,” said IHCA/INCAL President Zach Cattell. “As many of us are aware, a significant number of veterans don't access the benefits that are available to them because they either don't know about them or the system is hard to navigate. We hope that, by coordinating with IDVA, we can help veterans and their families obtain the benefits they deserve.”
Signature Healthcare of Muncie, an IHCA/INCAL member community, was one of the first to participate in this statewide effort. Ben Wells, the center’s administrator, is himself a veteran and served in Operation Desert Storm. The Director of Nursing, Maintenance Director and Therapy Director at Signature Healthcare of Muncie are also veterans.
“Veterans affairs issues are near and dear to my heart and to the rest of the staff as well,” said Wells. “It's very difficult to understand the VA process and what different veterans have as benefits. I may have different benefits as a wartime veteran than someone who served stateside. This effort to connect veterans and available government services will be helpful, and I’ll support it in any way I can.”
The Indiana Health Care Association/Indiana Center for Assisted Living (IHCA/INCAL) is Indiana's largest trade association and advocate representing proprietary, not-for-profit and hospital-based skilled nursing, assisted living communities and Independent Living. IHCA's more than 340 member facilities care for more than 25,000 of Indiana's geriatric and developmentally disabled citizens, the majority of whom are low-income Medicaid recipients.
Kate Vaulter, Indiana Health Care Association/Indiana Center for Assisted Living, http://www.ihca.org, +1 (317) 616-9002, [email protected]
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