An activist for veterans is asking the Iowa House and Senate veterans affairs committees to investigate the psychiatric care operations at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Bob Krause says he is concerned that veterans aren’t getting the treatment they need.
“My fear is that the Iowa Veterans Home has been actively avoiding treatment of PTSD war wounded, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Krause says. He says the involuntary discharge of several patients last year raised concern.
“And there’s been statements made that there are very few people coming in for PTSD, but at the same time we had a person that went down and checked in the area, and they said that the psychiatric care unit were these people would normally be was actually close,” Krause says.
“So it’s confusing, and we want some clarification and we can’t seem to get it. So we are hoping for a legislative investigation.” Krause says he has a suspicion about why veterans are not getting treatment.
“I’m not really sure, but I think it’s a likelihood a cost and convenience issue,” according to Krause. Krause says the director of the home has made a public statement about the issue.
“Basically the director has come out and said they don’t need it. I think he’s wrong on that,” Krause says. Krause wants legislators to look into the situation and give some clarification on the situation.
Krause is a veteran and a former state legislator. He leads a charity that helps veterans with issues such as PTSD.