Knox County, Mo. (WGEM) — On Wednesday, Echo Menges, along with Edina Sentinel, reported that the U.S. Veterans Affairs Bureau had cancelled its contract with the Knox County Nursing Home.
Knox County Nursing Facilities Manager Katlyn Marie told Edina Sentinel that on March 12 the facility had been notified that a VA contract was cancelled that allowed the facility to care for veterans.
Marie said the cancellation was sudden and unexpected.
Edina Sentinel reported that the contract was set to commence on April 14, 2022 and is expected to expire in April 2027. It currently expires early on Sunday.
The notice provided to Edina Sentinel states:
“That may be of concern: the purpose of this letter is to inform you that the government has decided not to exercise option 3 under contract 36C2552D0027.
Marie told Edina Sentinel that all the male residents they have are veterans. She said they were on the chopping block for years as the VA expected five or six veterans to take care of them, but Marie said she usually only had one or two.
According to Murry, she cut contracts for distance staff from Columbia's VA Hospital, and said veterans had to take care of them. Marie said she offered to pay the travel expenses from her pocket, but that was of no use.
According to Edina Sentinel, one veteran moved out of his home Thursday morning. Menges reported that Larry Stone, 78, from rural Knox County, has moved out of his home.
Stone moved to a nursing home in Knox County two weeks ago and approached his wife. On Thursday, Stone's family returned him to a VA-signed nursing home in Macon, Missouri. Marie told Edina Sentinel that she can only see her wife twice a week.
Stone's wife told Edina Sentinel that she had been waiting five months to take him to Knox County, but now she's in ruins.
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