Tuesday, Mar 1 2011 9:38AM
Utah announced it is seeking donations toward the construction of a nursing home for veterans.
The Utah Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will build a new veterans nursing home in the state's rural Washington County instead of in Cedar City, reported the Spectrum.
The home will serve the southern region of the state, although the paper said Washington County itself is home to about two-thirds of the estimated 20,000 veterans in the area. The 108-bed facility will require $400,000 in donations toward its construction, reported the paper, which said that Utah veterans will be involved in fundraising efforts.
Some Utah lawmakers believe the nursing home will reach more low-income veterans in rural counties in the middle of the state, which generally need more housing assistance services.
"When you consider the veterans living in Washington County, and those living in Cedar City, it only makes sense to place this facility where the majority of the population resides," Utah VA Director Terry Schow said in a press release.
The paper said any veteran is eligible for care in a VA nursing home. The VA typically pays half the cost, saving families about $2,000 a month.
A new study discovered that veterans currently make up 16 percent of the nation's homeless adults. In response, the U.S. Senate has recently introduced legislation aimed at improving homeless outreach and housing counseling in rural and underserved areas.