There are many Americans who have served in the active military, naval, or air service and some who have been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. At some point, these great heroes make for our cherished veterans, who all too often are faced with challenges in daily life after serving.
It is often assumed and believed that people who serve in the greatest military on the planet should be fully taken care of for their efforts to protect and serve this nation.
It’s no secret the nation’s Veteran Affairs agency has had a storied history of ineffective operations with backup cases, causing prolonged care and delayed assistance for veterans, leaving them with stories told of long waits and, in some cases, waiting for lifesaving medicine and care.
Some members of Congress have sought to address this pressing issue. As of September 2023, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester and Ranking Member Jerry Moran introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks to improve the claims and appeals process for veterans when they conduct their business through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The proposed bills, named the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023, called for the establishment of a competitive internship program at the Board of Veterans Appeals for high-performing law students, recent graduates, and entry-level attorneys.
The proposed language in the bill would enhance VA’s Disability Benefits Questionnaires in an effort to help veterans save time in the claims process. This new process would allow claims to be filled out in advance. The proposed legislation would also call for VA contractors to contact a veteran’s representative and the veteran themselves when scheduling medical exams.
The legislation would also instruct the VA to improve the department’s outreach by working with veterans’ groups to educate veterans on how disability exams are scheduled.
From housing to medical care, the VA can offer an array of services and sometimes contracts out some of its work through its vendors.
“We take what happens in the veteran community and the needs of the veterans very seriously,” said Gregory Hines, franchise co-owner with Kevin Manuel, Amadea Senior Care. “We are a resource to veterans, and we’ll also advocate for our men and women who served in uniform.”
As franchise co-owners of Amadea Senior Care with locations in Detroit and Ann Arbor, the business partners have been serving metro Detroit for nine years and proudly service the Detroit VA as one of its vendors. The local franchise Manuel and Hines has comprised has led them to become a trusted resource for caregiving and insurance claims advocacy for long-term care.
For Hines, the decision to become involved in caring for veterans is personal and one that reaches close to home.
“All the men in my family back to my great great grandfather who served in the civil war, great grandfather served in World War I, my grandfather served in World War II, my dad served in Vietnam. I’m the only man in that chain of generation in my family who didn’t serve so for me this is a way finding opportunities to offer my small level of service to veterans who have historically been a part of the men in my family.”
The business duo and their team are mostly service veterans, many of whom are Black and from Detroit. Some of the veterans they serve and have encountered tell stories of their times in Vietnam or in the Korean War. Some of whom volunteered, and some who were drafted. Some of their stories are marked with incredible challenges, including dealing with racism.
These stories are shaped by the personal encounters with the veterans they service, and despite being co-owners, they still make it their business to personally get to know the heroes that are servicing.
“For me, just being able to give something back to them is what fills me up,” says Manuel. “I try to listen to their stories, find out what branch of the service they were in, and for everyone that we bring on, Greg and I are out there and we meet them. We just don’t send a caregiver out there on the first day and say, ‘here you go.’ Greg and I have spoken to each one and we learn their story, so we know what to expect as caregivers.”
Despite years-long painstaking challenges, there are people like Kevin and Greg who show up with a passion to provide and show dignity and respect for the men and women who have served their country.
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