Washington, D.C. – Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, today called upon the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve in caring for patients with traumatic brain injuries once they return to their communities. An Inspector General’s (IG) report, released yesterday, found that once an injured servicemember returns to his or her home, access to ongoing care is frequently difficult and that many patients and families find the VA system difficult to navigate.

"The IG found that VA does an excellent job of caring for servicemembers at its speciality hospitals but fell short when the patient moves home. These men and women are quite young and are living with brain injuries for the rest of their lives. VA must do more than simply send them back to their communities," said Senator Akaka.

The VA IG interviewed 52 servicemembers who had been treated in VA’s Traumatic Brain Injury Centers. The investigation found fault with VA’s case management of these patients. One veteran’s mother said that her son had run out of medications, was not receiving needed therapy, and did not have a follow-up appointment scheduled.

The report also found that many injured servicemembers are confused over their status between the time of the injury and their final discharge from the military.

Senator Akaka added, "This is but one more example of where the Department of Defense and VA could cooperate more to ensure that all servicemembers – whether veterans or still in uniform – receive the highest quality care no matter where they live in the country."

The IG report is available at http://www.va.gov/oig/.