The Soldiers' Home in Holyoke provides health care and supportive services to honorably discharged Massachusetts veterans with non-service-related health problems who live in the four westernmost counties of the Commonwealth. Veterans with intensive medical needs occupy the Home's 234 long-term care beds. Each day, 20 long-term care patients with Alzheimer's Disease and other brain disorders participate in therapeutic activities in the Home's elder day care program, which is run primarily by volunteers. The program activities, designed to stimulate sensory skills, include music, cooking, pet, and plant therapy. Specialized outpatient clinics handle more than 10,000 visits each year. A dormitory unit provides housing and supportive services to an additional 20 veterans each year. Social work and supportive care services are also available to Home residents and other eligible veterans.

Objectives

In Fiscal Year 1999, additional funding will allow the Soldiers' Home to open a 24 bed long-term care unit to assist those suffering from dementia, and help address their waiting list for services.

Budget Recommendations

The Fiscal Year 1999 budget recommendation includes two expansion items: 1) a $551,800 increase for the long-term care dementia unit; and 2) a $68,000 increase to support the operation of 17 additional beds in their long-term care unit and a new dormitory scheduled to open in January, 1998.

Budgetary Direct Appropriations

SOLDIERS` HOME IN HOLYOKE
4190-0100	For the operation of the soldiers` home in Holyoke, including the adult day care program	14,145,658

Budgetary Retained Revenues

HOLYOKE SOLDIERS` HOME LICENSE PLATE FEES RETAINED REVENUE
4190-1100	The soldiers` home in Holyoke is hereby authorized to expend revenues in an amount not to exceed $88,000 for facility maintenance and patient care; provided, that 40 per cent of all revenues generated pursuant to section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, through the purchase of license plates with the designation VETERAN by eligible veterans of the commonwealth, upon compensating the registry of motor vehicles for the costs associated with said license plates, shall be deposited into and for the purposes of this account; and provided further, that notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, for the purpose of accommodating timing discrepancies between the receipt of retained revenues and related expenditures, said soldiers` home may incur expenses and the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the lower of this authorization or the most recent revenue estimate therefor as reported in the state accounting system	88,000