By Michaela Bishop
Northeast News
November 11, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The Veterans Medical Foster Home Program has created a new and improved way of living for veterans.

The program gives around-the-clock care for veterans who are in need of physical care, medication management, and mental health support. Medical Foster Care Homes provide the following to veterans:

• Private rooms

• Medical management

• Personal care

• Supervised setting

• Personalized care

• Consistent caregiver

• Three meals/snacks daily

• Housekeeping

• Home-like family living

• Flexibility and choice

• Socialization/recreation

The program started in 1999, but finally made its appearance in Kansas City in 2012. The Veterans Medical Foster Home Program for Kansas City currently has five veterans and is in the process of adding three more. Terry Curry, coordinator for the program said caregivers for the veterans must be 21-years-old, and own or rent a home and or townhouse. Curry added the veteran makes all the decisions on what they want to do, as well as where they want to live.

“The caregiver does everything they can to open their homes, then we take the veteran to tour the home,” Curry said. “It is totally up to the veteran or the caregiver on if they want to stay there or not.”

The caregiver must agree to give the veteran all day care, and in return the veteran pays the caregiver which is dependent on how much assistance the caregiver provides. Curry said the VA does not make payments.

“We do require training twice-a-year for the caregivers,” Curry said. “We also have scheduled visits and I go out for unannounced visits.”

Margie Cox, one current caregiver, opened her home to veteran Bryan Lalone. Cox said she does not feel sorry for having Lalone stay in her home.

“Bryan is very nice,” Cox said. “His mother is a lovely woman and his brother is very nice too.”

Cox added she opened her home to Lalone because she wanted to do something good for the veterans who can’t help themselves. Lalone and Cox usually make a schedule for themselves, sometimes things not possible in a nursing home.

“We do a lot of different things,” Lalone said. “We go grocery shopping, six days a week we go into Oak Grove and walk around, I work-out four times a week and we are going to South Carolina to watch Margie’s daughter graduate.”

Lalone was previously in a nursing home for two years for multiple issues with his health. He chose to stay with Margie because of the scenery.

“I like it out in the country,” Lalone said.

If you are interested in being a resident and caregiver for Kansas City VA Medical Foster Homes, call 816-922-2009 and or 1-800-525-1483.