Texas State Veterans Homes
On this episode of The Dog Tag, Matt Elledge talks with Deputy Director, John Berkely, and Program Administrator, Kathy Johanns of the Texas State Veterans Homes.
The VLB Texas State Veterans Homes provide affordable, long-term nursing care for Texas Veterans, their spouses and Gold Star parents. Located across Texas, each first-class facility is designed to enhance quality of life with a clean, caring and dignified setting appropriate to those men and women who have served our country with honor.
Matt, John and Kathy discuss the origin of these special homes, eligibility requirements, associated costs, quality of life and much more.
John Berkely, a Navy Veteran with 23 years of experience in long-term care administration, took on the role of Deputy Director for the Texas State Veterans Homes at the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) on Monday, May 12, 2014.
Kathy joined the Texas Veterans Land Board in 2015 and has almost 20 years of experience in the field of long-term care. Her father was a U.S. Air Force Veteran who served in both Korea and Vietnam and she is also the spouse of a U.S. Air Force Veteran. Kathy, and her colleague, Sara Rodriguez, a registered nurse who also works for the Texas State Veterans Homes, developed and teach the Post-Traumatic Stress Program to every staff member at all eight Texas State Veterans Homes.
The VLB is extremely fortunate to have these very compassionate and dedicated people on our team serving Texas Veterans!
Show Notes:
Introductions. [:50]
The origin and location of the Texas State Veterans Homes. [3:24]
How these long-term care homes differ from standard nursing homes. [4:38]
Eligibility requirements for the Veterans Homes. [6:01]
What specialized types of care are available. [6:21]
The generational breakdown of the current Veterans Home residents. [6:39]
What the Post-Traumatic Stress Program is and how it works. [7:09]
Dementia and Memory Support Units at the Veterans Homes. [10:18]
Activity programs that engage the residents. [11:33]
The costs associated with living in a Texas State Veterans Home. [12:34]
How to apply for residency at a Texas State Veterans Home. [14:11]
How the Veterans Home in Tyler is different. [15:19]
Who runs the day-to-day operations at the Veterans Homes. [17:25]
How visitors and volunteers contribute to the resident’s quality of life. [18:13]
Holidays and other events that are celebrated at the Veterans Homes. [20:17]
The Final Salute. [21:15]
How female Veterans are cared for at the Veterans Homes. [22:11]
Kathy and John discuss why they are so passionate about serving Veterans in this capacity. [23:57]
Follow each Texas State Veterans Home on Facebook:
Amarillo | Big Spring | Bonham | El Paso | Floresville | McAllen | Temple| Tyler
- Stay tuned for our next podcast: How the Texas Workforce Commission Helps Military Members & Veterans
- Listen to our previous podcast: Home Improvement Loans for Texas Veterans & Military
Helpful Resources:
Application for Admission to a Texas State Veterans Home
Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo
Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez Texas State Veterans Home in Big Spring
Clyde W. Cosper Texas State Veterans Home in Bonham
Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home in El Paso
Frank M. Tejeda Texas State Veterans Home in Floresville
Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home in McAllen
William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home in Temple
Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home in Tyler
Listen to this podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud.
The Dog Tag® is brought to you by the Texas Veterans Land Board. Find more episodes at TexasVeteransPodcast.com. If you have questions about this topic, or suggestions for other podcast topics, call 1–800–252-VETS or email vlbinfo@glo.texas.gov. Visit TexasVeterans.com to find out more about your benefits!
