Fund nursing home, Utah vets say

With Utah troops fighting abroad, veterans of past wars want to make sure they are not forgotten.

A handful of Utah veterans groups are urging the Legislature to invest $4.3 million to fund another nursing home for Utah veterans.

The state currently runs one veterans nursing home, which had a waiting list of 125 people earlier this week. The 80-bed Salt Lake facility has been running at capacity since it opened in 1998.

With the possible state funding and a federal grant, the veterans want to construct a 120-bed facility in Weber County.

"What we need is true support for our troops, which is a lifetime commitment," said retired Navy Rear Adm. Jeremy Taylor. "It is not enough to support them when they are on the battlefield. That commitment extends when they need it the most — when they are hospitalized and infirm and they need help here at home."

The state is entitled to 300 nursing home beds for veterans. If the Weber County facility is built, that would jump the total bed count by 200. Future nursing home locations are slated for southern and central Utah, according to the Utah Division of Veterans Affairs Home Strategic Plan.

In 2001, the state's over-65 veteran population reached 49,000. In the coming years experts believe that age group will represent 41 percent of the total number of veterans in the state.

"We need to take care of our guys," said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Reynolds. "This group is going to grow, soon. What are we going to do for our veterans?"

The new nursing home would be on the site of the U.S. Army Reserve Browning Reserve Center located on the western side of the Weber County fairgrounds.

The $12.3 million project would largely be funded by a federal grant. But the state must contribute $4.3 million in order to receive the federal funding. Frank Maughan, commander of the Utah Disabled American Veterans, urged all veterans to talk to their local legislators about supporting the proposed nursing home.

"It always bothers me that we don't support the veterans now," said retired Army Maj. George Wahlen, Utah's lone Medal of Honor winner. "I'm sure if any of our legislators had had that experience, they definitely would take care of our veterans now."

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