Mid-Atlantic Regional Group

Blinded Veterans Association

Roanoke/Salem  Chapter  Meeting

Minutes

The live bodies at the April 1 meeting of the Blinded Veterans at the VA in Salem were Richard Rhett, Ernie Bradley and Lola Bradley.  Via teleconference those present were Ed Walker, “Easy Going” of Blacksburg (I forgot to ask for his real name) and Bill Hadden of Lynchburg. 

The meeting was mainly a catch up on the latest news. 

Ed gave a report on his wife’s status.  She is about the same.  She is still going through mood swings, is depressed, and cries herself to sleep.  She is home because I thought I could do more for her than Friendship Manor.  She is starting therapy today.  I have to take her to Lewis Gale Provision…three hours today, tomorrow and Friday.  We take RADAR round trip.  Hopefully they will do more for her than the previous therapies. 

Ed explained that she had had therapy at Friendship Manor who said they could not do anything else, then she had therapy at home and were told again they could not get anywhere with her.  Medicare had stopped paying at Friendship Manor.  However, now Ed is hopeful that between his insurance and Medicare it will take care of therapy at this time.

Ed said that they had been able to get Jeanne into their Lincoln to take her out for her favorite sandwich and dessert which was good news.

Even with all this, Ed still has his sense of humor.  His new service dog chewed up his care giver’s dentures and it cost him $1400 to have them replaced!  The dog is still wagging his tail.

“Easy Going” said he was interested in hearing Ernie talk about his training at West Haven as he needed an upgrade.  He is still using the outdated 7.0 Zoom-Text which is now up to version 9.  JAWS is also up to version 9.  Rich said he would get with Tim.  Tim has not got the Director job yet for which he applied.

Ed said at the last staff meeting he discussed it with the Director. And he told him that we had been authorized a full time VIST coordinator. I said I had heard that they are going to centralize it back to Washington.  He said if he gets the money, he will go out recruiting.    If he does not get the money then I can’t fill the position.  The position has been authorized.

“Easy Going” said he needed a computer “re-do” and asked Ernie how long do you go for.  Ernie answered that a guy from Lynchburg was there for a week but most of them stay for two weeks or a month depending on how good you are.

Ernie talked a little about the computer work and the mobility living schooling and each person present who had been there contributed what they had made in shop while being there.  Ernie made a stool; Ed had made Jeanne a cutting board in the shape of a heart.  Richard had made a bedside table which also included a place for his CDs. 

Ernie mentioned the equipment which had been sent home to him – CCTV which was his favorite as it enables him to read newspapers and with his scanner can scan a book into the computer and have the computer read it to him.  He said he had not been able to read a book for 7 years so this was wonderful.  He was asked about the computer (Dell) and said: “No, it is not the slim line”; the programs VISTA, Open Books, Zoom-Text; and a printer and several lamps.  Also all the glasses he had been tested for and given.  Richard and Ed also had got similar items when they were there. 

Ed mentioned the Voice of the Blue Ridge which you sign up for through Irene to be able to have read to you newspaper articles from the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and others.  You dial in a certain code to get the newspaper you want, then dial the code for the section of the paper you want read to you for that day.

Ed was asked if his GPS is working now.  He said it is but he had had to send it back two times. Ernie explained that when we moved to Roanoke, the navigator in our car had saved our marriage.  Ed responded that Jeanne would probably say it saved their marriage too. 

Ed mentioned the Regional Meeting in Richmond April 12 and said that if Jeanne continues to get better, he plans to go.  If she continues being able to get in and out of the Lincoln we will probably end up going…it’s about a 4-hour drive from here.  He mentioned that he had considered converting the van to mobility accessible for her and was quoted a price of $19000 so that was the end of that.

Bill Hadden of Lynchburg joined the group via phone at that point.  After Ed caught him up on the meeting, Bill said that he had just got back Sunday night with his new seeing- eye dog, Godiva, a yellow Lab, which he got through the Guiding Eyes in NY. Bill explained that he is 80 years old and partially paralyzed in his left hand. He is waiting for assignment in computer access.  He has been provided with a practice keyboard for the left hand.  Richard mentioned the possibility of going to a school for veterans for training in Birmingham.  Bill said it had always been West Haven but if B’Ham was an option, he would be interested in it.  He said that Tim had done backflips to accommodate him.  He did not want to mess that up but if Ed or Rich would talk to Tim about B’ham if that is a better option, he would appreciate it.

Ernie asked Richard about his watch which Rich said is a satellite watch and he got it through Tim.    He gave Tim the Maxi catalog for him to order it from.  Ernie also asked about how you go about getting checked for a hearing aid and Richard told him his (Ernie’s) primary doctor would refer him to Tim to get one for him.

Ed asked about getting his satellite watch programmed to set an alarm.  Richard told him to take the disk and paper directions to Prosthetics to get it set.

The meeting was then adjourned.

Ernest Bradley

Secretary

Minutes Archive

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