Whew was it ever hot on Sunday–98 degrees! Monday we never even saw 80 degrees which was heavenly and today we only reached 80 degrees–much better! But we have smoke again–lots of mountain obscuring, smelly smoke–UGH!
Sunday was a day of quilting in the cool basement. The Cowboy had to go to Big Timber–seems Nat and household were without hot water–not a good thing! The house has a gas hot water heater and the pilot was out–the Cowboy did some trouble shooting and then just re-lighted the pilot and it’s heating water.
More quilting on Monday and the Cowboy puttered. Emmi girl has had an upset stomach for a couple days but she’s on the mend–she’s always healthy–don’t know what caused this little episode but she’s OK now.
Lonn came early this morning to pickup a cement mixer and big round bales of hay. I was off to yoga then back home where we have both spent the day relaxing–can you believe it???
Here’s my two beautiful great nieces yesterday–first day of school.
Leah on the left is in the eighth grade and Elizabeth is a junior much to her mother’s dismay! 🙂
Smoke makes for nice sunsets.
Here’s another healthcare puzzle–the VA has a new program–Veteran Directed Care and Community Based Services. The following is taken from the Veterans Administration website, “veterans can hire their own personal aides.” So, I am thinking–the VA might pay a portion of the care Nat is receiving from personal care aides. Wrong! After being on hold for over 20 minutes yesterday I spoke with a very rude, gruff lady who informed me that the program would pay for a personal aide but not for an agency of personal aides. Is that not the most convoluted government statement you have ever read??? The personal aide can be your neighbor with no training whatsoever (true statement from the website) and the VA will pay. But they won’t pay the aides with training/certification from an agency. To be fair, they will pay an agency but that agency has to jump through all the hoops to be a VA affiliated vendor. Our agency is strictly a personal care agency (they provide services which include bathing, helping with dressing, preparing meals, house keeping–services which most senior people need on a daily basis)–they do not provide skilled nursing and do not have a nurse on staff–a requirement to be VA associated.
The website also makes this confusing statement:
“If you are enrolled in this program (Veteran Directed Care and Community Based Services) you can decide what mix of Home and Community Based services will best meet your needs.”
Obviously not if you want to use trained aides from an agency. Some days I am at my wits end!!
Restoration Cowboy Style 
I think the VA needs to be straightened out, and I think you are the right person for the job. Go get them Jana!
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Too many people employed for too long Geri.
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What a struggle with totally confusing language. Anything involving the government is going to be a challenge. Too bad it has to be that way.
The smoke does make for lovely sunsets. You have a lot of smoke. Hope it moves on.
Sorry to hear Emmi wasn’t well. Glad she is doing better:)
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And that wasn’t even all the confusing language!! It is too bad that the people who need the most care have to struggle to get that care. It’s my opinion that anyone who flew 33 missions over Japan as a gunner on a B29 aircraft deserves an open checkbook–stop quibbling with me over who is going to provide the 13 hours of care they will authorize–just pay for it!!!!
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The VA has a bad case of too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.
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Amen! And that grumpy woman I spoke with must have been one of the chiefs!
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I would only start ranting if I commented on the gov’t stuff… But those girls are just beautiful… I sure didn’t look like that when I was in 8th grade.. or even as a junior. I swear, kids grow up a lot sooner these days.
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I had to step back and take a break from phone calls Sharon–I was about to lose it! I know, aren’t they beautiful and so grown up!
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You might just try calling the VA again. Let’s hope there is a more friendly accommodating person who answers and perhaps may be able to direct you to something helpful! I do that with utility companies all the time.
Lovely grand-nieces. They do grow up faster than Moms really want them to, don’t they?
~ Linda K.
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Unfortunately that’s not the case–the Bozeman VA is not a large facility and thus fewer staff. The mom to my great nieces is very sad that her girls are almost grown.
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Back to school already?…Poor kids, they sure aren’t getting the time off I did in Catholic grades, 4th through 8th..
We were always off from before Memorial Day until after Labor Day….
Psst, don’t tell them….
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They have to go to school way too long–both for the kids and teachers!
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Jim went around and around with the Boise VA. He needs to have a colonoscopy so wanted a referral to St. Lukes in McCall and not have to drive back and forth to Boise. Mind you..the VA doctor examined him. After 3 or 4 weeks he found that they didn’t have a clue as to how to make that happen. Jim has Medicare and BCBS and the VA has been submitting claims to his insurances so he told them to forget it. He has to see the local doctor now for the referral. The problem is that everything sounds good about changes on TV but it takes forever to make changes happen at ground level. And we have clowns who want government controlled insurance.
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Didn’t mean to be anonymous. Sorry!
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I knew who you were Bev! 🙂 I don’t know what the answer is to our healthcare in the US but it’s not working as it is now.
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