HOLYOKE — The state Senate has passed a budget amendment that would establish an ombudsman’s office at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
In a unanimous vote, the Senate approved the amendment — filed by Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield — that will send an extra $400,000 to the facility, which earlier this year experienced a COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in the deaths of at least 76 residents. Half of that money will be used to hire an ombudsman, who is an independent and impartial official who would provide oversight. The other half is for better equipment at the home.
“The beautiful thing about this is they’re independent, they’re impartial and you can really speak to them in confidence,” Velis said Monday, referring to the ombudsman. He said families had gone unheard at the facility previously.
The budget now goes to a conference committee, where the state House and Senate will work out a final budget. The amendment needs to survive that process to be passed.
Veteran advocates and families, including members of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Coalition, have been pressing for an impartial ombudsman at the facility for a while.
“The families certainly need a mechanism internally to be able to voice concerns, and truly, any health care institution needs a patient advocate,” said John Paradis, a member of the coalition. “It’s long overdue, it’s necessary and I’m hopeful that the state will put a person in there that has the credentials, background and knowledge to truly be able to advocate for the family members and for the veteran residents.”
One of those family members would be Roberta Twining, whose husband, Timothy, is a resident of the Soldiers’ Home. She said Monday that any extra funding at the facility is welcome.
“But our ultimate goal is to get a new facility, that’s the bottom line,” she said. “We need to petition the governor and we need to be heard in Boston.”
Following the catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, the state began an expedited capital project.
The recently released needs assessment calls for the implementation of adult day health services, a significant renovation or replacement of the current 235-bed home to create a smaller 180- to 204-bed facility, ending outpatient services, and phasing out the existing 30-bed domiciliary. The state has said it expects to submit an application for a federal Department of Veterans Affairs construction grant for the project by an April 15, 2021, deadline.
In addition to the ombudsman funding, the Velis amendment will send another $200,000 to the Soldiers’ Home for improved equipment or resources.
Velis said the purpose for the funding is broad, so that it can be used to improve any of the resources the facility might need. He said families have told him resources like diapers have fallen in quality in recent years.
“It’s really to enable them to contract with the best contractors for quality resources,” he said.
Twining said that while it’s encouraging to hear about extra funding, issues still remain for Soldiers’ Home residents and their families. She said staffing remains short, and lamented the fact that visitation was shut down yet again after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.