Ollie Harvey, former mayor of Ripley, W.Va., came to visit her brother, Phillip, at the Alzheimer’s unit of the West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility Thursday afternoon.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility has reduced its wait list by about 67 percent in the past year, The Exponent Telegram has learned.
The current waiting list is comprised of 55 people, much lower than the 166 who were waiting for a bed last year, said Heather Miles, public affairs coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance. The West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility is the only state-run veterans nursing home in West Virginia.
The facility’s average admission rate is two or three people a week, which can add up to more than 100 admissions over the course of a year, she said.
“Some people drop off the list for various reasons; either a person may die or get tired of waiting and go somewhere else,” Miles said.
Next week, it’s likely the wait list may trend toward increasing again.
The facility will reach “bed lock,” a nursing term meaning the facility cannot accept any new patients unless a bed becomes open, Miles said.
Donald Harvey, a veteran and resident of Ripley, said the facility is a great place for his brother-in-law, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
“He’s been here over a year and is very happy. The people are very helpful, which is what makes a facility,” he said.
The facility first opened in November 2007 and has slowly been working toward full capacity. Kevin Crickard, administrator for the West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility, said the facility is on a five-year growth plan…
