Veterans home prepares for victims of Alzheimer’s disease

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Monday, Nov. 25, 2002 | 11:23 a.m.

The Southern Nevada Veterans Nursing Home is preparing to admit 45 Alzheimer's disease patients by training 18 staff members in specialized care, the home's interim director told a state commission Friday in Las Vegas.

Interim Director Tom Feeback's report to the Nevada Veterans Services Commission was encouraging,Chuck Fulkerson, executive director of the state Office of Veterans Services, said.

"We are alive and well and doing what we spent $20 million to get done," Fulkerson said.

The nursing home opened in August and already has 25 patients. The embattled facility recently received certification from Medicare and Medicaid to receive medical reimbursements from those agencies. It is awaiting certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Fulkerson said VA certification is expected by January.

Feeback, a licensed long-term care administrator with 18 years' experience managing facilities in Montana and Texas, is running the home while a national search is conducted for a permanent director.