VA to provide in-home care for Springfield veteran

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reached an agreement to continue in-home health care for a Springfield veteran with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Michael Williamson sued the federal agency on Jan. 23 in U.S. District Court in Eugene after a VA contract company notified him that his home health care of nearly 20 years would halt because it couldn’t find caregivers.

The suit said officials at Roseburg VA Health Care System told Williamson he would have to move to an out-of-state nursing home.

But U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams said Friday that Williamson and the VA have reached a settlement.

Roseburg VA director David Whitmer said the outcome honors the veteran’s wishes for a home-based solution while also providing a safe environment for his care.

Williamson served 14 years in the U.S. Air Force. He was in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in the early 1990s.