Kansas Veterans’ Home and Kansas Soldiers’ Home

Kansas runs two state homes: the Kansas Soldiers' Home at Fort Dodge, governed by 76-1908, and the Kansas Veterans' Home at Winfield, governed by 76-1954. The two admission statutes are close to word-for-word identical, and both are administered by the director of the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. Each home offers domiciliary (assisted living), nursing and memory care. What the statutes say. Service: a person who served in the active military service of the United States during any period of war, or who served during peacetime and is entitled to VA hospitalization or domiciliary care under title 38, and who was discharged or relieved under conditions other than dishonorable. Disability: the person must be disabled by disease, wounds, old age or otherwise and, by reason of that disability, incapacitated from earning a living. The widow, mother, widower, father or minor child of a person who qualifies on the service test may be admitted if incapable of self-support because of physical disability. A felony conviction bars admission unless the director finds the person adequately rehabilitated and not dangerous. The rules must give priority to a veteran with no adequate means of support and dependent family members. Residency. Both statutes still say no applicant "shall be admitted ... who has not been an actual resident of the state of Kansas for at least two years next preceding the date of application". Attorney General Opinion 92-74 (June 2, 1992) concluded that the requirement in 76-1908(b) "results in a violation of the equal protection clause and is therefore unconstitutional", and the Office of Veterans Services does not apply it: "While Kansas residency is not required for admission, preference will be given to Kansas residents when considering applicants for the Kansas Veterans Homes." A veteran moving to Kansas need not wait two years to apply, but a Kansas resident goes ahead in line. What the Office of Veterans Services asks today. Completed active federal service with a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable; VA's criteria for veteran status; a need for 24-hour skilled nursing care, documented by a physician; no listing on any sex offender registry; no felony conviction or guilty plea in any state (stricter than the statutes, which let the director admit a rehabilitated person); and a condition the home has the resources to care for. Spouses, surviving spouses and Gold Star parents may qualify on a space-available basis. Priority goes first to veterans without adequate means of support, then by the level of care needed and the veteran's ability to obtain and afford care in the community. Discharge from a home is possible and is protected. The director may discharge a member who gained admittance by misrepresenting their financial or physical condition, or whose condition has so altered that further maintenance is not justified, but only after notice and an opportunity to be heard under the Kansas administrative procedure act. Rates are set by the director under 76-1904a and 76-1952. How to apply. The Office of Veterans Services' application for admission and checklist, with VA Forms 10-10EZ and 10-5345; Kansas Veterans' Home, 1220 World War II Memorial Drive, Winfield (620-705-6262); Kansas Soldiers' Home, 714 Sheridan, Unit 128, Fort Dodge (620-227-2121); central office 785-296-3976.