New week, new U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs scandal – this time, from a facility in Florida where a former military member under care of the government-provided health care program was found dead in a shower stall.
According to reports, the veteran, who’s not been publicly identified, had been dead for nine hours before anyone found the body.
And what’s almost worse: Staffers at the Bay Pines VA hospital tried to cover up the fact they left the body to decompose for so many hours.
The news came to light in a 24-page report making the media circuit on Monday.
As Fox News noted: “The report concluded that hospice staffers … failed to provide appropriate post-mortem care to the veteran’s body, Fox 13 Tampa reports. The report found hospice staff put the veteran’s body in a hallway and left it there for an unspecified time, the station reported. Staff then put the veteran’s body in the shower room and did not ‘check on the status of the decedent … for over nine hours.’ The report also found that a staff member then ‘falsely documented’ the incident.”
The revelations come just a week after another veteran, 73-year-old Owen Reese Peterson, was found dead in his Talihinia, Oklahoma, Veterans Center bed, with maggots on his wounds.
As previously reported, “three nurses and a physician’s assistant resigned after the news went public, no doubt to avoid an embarrassing firing.”
Donald Trump has vowed both on the campaign trail and during his transition to the White House to overhaul the bureaucratic VA and make it more responsive to veterans’ needs.
Following this Florida incident, nobody was fired.
The hospital’s investigative body ordered staff to undergo retraining, Fox News reported.
A spokesperson with Bay Pines VA sent out a statement about the incident:
“As reflected in the outcomes of our thorough internal reviews, it was found that some staff did not follow post mortem care procedures. We view this finding unacceptable, and have taken appropriate action to mitigate reoccurrence in the future. Some of these actions include recommitment by all hospice staff to VA’s core values, education and training, and review of policy and procedures.
“Furthermore, hospice nursing professionals were required to provide a signature commitment of understanding and adherence to policy and practice related to post mortem care. Nursing safety rounds were also initiated as a way to ensure ongoing education and oversight within the unit. Appropriate personnel action was also taken, however, I am not able to provide details as these actions are considered confidential between the agency and employees involved as a matter of professional privacy and respect. We feel that we have taken strong, appropriate and expeditious steps to strengthen and improve our existing systems and processes within the unit.
“Again, this event was undesirable and unacceptable. While there is no specific VA policy or directive that provides guidance on the specific timeframe in which a decedent should be transported, it is our expectation that each Veteran is transported to their final resting place in the timely, respectful and honorable manner. America’s heroes deserve nothing less.”
