$44 million renovation plan sought for Veterans Home

As a commission appointed by the governor wrestled Thursday with how to help the troubled Minneapolis Veterans Home end decades of regulatory crises, an official at the facility announced that it has asked the federal government to approve a $44 million "Cadillac plan" to renovate the nursing home.

"I may be speaking out of school because the [Minnesota Veterans Homes] board has not acted yet, but we are taking action to upgrade the place," said Chip Cox, interim executive director of the board, which operates five state-owned homes.

"I don't want you to think we're sitting on our hands," he said after the commission at a public meeting began outlining an ambitious plan that could expand the board's mission.

The plan would have the board provide an array of services for the state's 140,000 aging veterans.

The seven-member Veterans Long-Term Care Advisory Commission was appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and started work in May.

It was told to recommend ways to end the Minneapolis home's frequent inspection problems and consider whether the five Minnesota homes should serve more people than the 863 people housed in its nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

"Be bold," Pawlenty told the commission at its first meeting.

The governor urged commission members not to be held back "because of real or perceived public relations or political concerns."

Since 2005, the Minneapolis Home has been cited by the state for 67 rule violations, the most recent last month, and fined $42,300 when the problems were not corrected.

Separately, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which pays about 20 percent of the care costs, found 48 violations since 2005.

On Thursday, commission members said they are concerned that recommendations they will offer by October might conflict with changes already underway at the home, where the state Health Department has ordered that a consultant help the home improve care.

"We don't want to come up with a grand plan only to find out that events have passed us by," said Rosalie Kane, a University of Minnesota expert on long-term care, who served on a similar commission in 1987 after massive problems were revealed at the Minneapolis Home.

Renovation would cut beds

The proposed renovation project, still in the design phase, would reduce the number of beds in the home's main building from 250 to 198. All the beds in the renovated facility would be in single rooms with private baths, Cox said. The home also has a 91-bed nursing-home dementia unit and a 61-bed assisted-living facility in separate buildings.

The Minneapolis Home, which stopped taking new nursing-home residents in December while it fixes the care problems, now has about 350 people on its waiting list.

The remodeled home would be divided into 14- to 16-room "neighborhoods," each with its own kitchen -- a popular design in innovative homes.

The governing board will consider the plans Thursday. Its staff already submitted the plan to federal officials as a project list "place holder."

If approved, the VA would pay 65 percent of the $44 million cost. The Legislature would have to approve the remaining $15 million.

Expanded role for homes

Commission members said that it will require strong leadership and perhaps changes in the governing board to end the home's problems and develop a culture of excellent care.

"I think we can fix the short-term problems," said commission Chairman Dale Thompson, president and CEO of the Benedictine Health System. "But how do we make them stick? And how do we get the home to break out of the 1950s model it's been operating under and into the 21st century?"

Thompson said he will invite state veterans' groups to meet with him on Aug. 21 so he can update them "and try to get their buy-in."

Clark Dyrud of the state veterans' affairs commission said, "The word on the street among veterans is that you already have a grand plan [for the home] that's secret. ... I know it's not true, but that's the word."There are about 140,000 veterans over age 65 in Minnesota, and we're only serving about 900 of them, " Thompson said. "What about the others?"

He said the state agency might begin offering frail veterans advice and aid in finding services, or even "case management" of a range of health, transportation, caregiver and other help.

"This might require more money or legislation," Thompson said. "But when has everyone been so focused on the needs of American veterans? This might be the time, as the governor said, to be bold."

Warren Wolfe • 612-673-7253 • wolfe@startribune.com