Five years ago St. Johns County submitted an application to be the site of Florida’s newest veterans nursing home. Today, the home is receiving its final touches, a new administrator has been hired, and Florida’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is almost ready to open its doors.
Florida has a long history of taking care of its elder veterans. The state’s original VA homes were established in the 1880’s. That program led to where Florida is today: building nursing homes with veterans in mind.
The Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home would not even be recognizable to veterans spending time in nursing homes even 15 years ago. This home contains 72 private rooms and 24 semi-private rooms. All the rooms are divided into “neighborhoods” which are negotiated via a series of street signs. The fine details of the home include doors with shingled overhangs and every room includes a completely customizable memory board. Half the building is secured and monitored to handle veterans suffering from dementia.
The entire home is designed to make veterans feel like they are at home. The first veteran will move in in September. Following that, 10 veterans a month will move in until the home is at capacity. In order to be able to move into the home veterans must:
- Be honorably discharged;
- Lived in Florida for at least 1 year; and
- Require skilled nursing as determined by the VA.
Florida currently has 1.7 million veterans across the state so homes like this are desperately needed. The state will take possession of the home in June, once construction is complete. Needy veterans in Northeast Florida will most certainly benefit from Florida’s newest and continuing effort to take care of their state’s veterans.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
