Third Veterans Home Opens Despite Neglect Allegations

NewsChannel5.com
October 25, 2006

Despite questions raised by a NewsChannel 5 investigation, the state of Tennessee has opened yet another state-run nursing home for veterans.

The Tennessee Veterans Home in Knoxville opened yesterday.

It's designed primarily to serve vets from East Tennessee.

This is the third state-run veterans home in Tennessee.

As our investigation uncovered, both the veterans homes in Murfreesboro and in Humboldt have had serious and continuing problems caring for their patients.

Some critics have questioned whether the state should open yet another home when it has had trouble running the two it already has.

"My concern is how do we keep these sorts of things from continuing to happen and what does this administration intend to do to make sure it doesn't happen again in the future," Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, told NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Jennifer Kraus.

And on the heels of yesterday's opening in Knoxville, the state is now looking at opening a fourth nursing home for vets near Clarksville.