Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

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 In-Home Care French Camp, CA

How does In-home Senior Care in French Camp, CA work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care French Camp, CA

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in French Camp, CA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in French Camp, CA gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care French Camp, CA

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in French Camp,CA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers French Camp, CA

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

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An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

02

Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in French Camp, CA

'Avoid travel as much as possible': Stockton road closures, flooding info ahead of storm

Note to readers: We've made this story free as an important public service to residents in San Joaquin County. If you are able, help local journalism thrive by subscribing to The Stockton Record. Your subscription goes a long way toward helping us provide meaningful, in-de...

Note to readers: We've made this story free as an important public service to residents in San Joaquin County. If you are able, help local journalism thrive by subscribing to The Stockton Record. Your subscription goes a long way toward helping us provide meaningful, in-depth coverage on issues that matter to you.

As more harsh winds and downpours pound Northern California, authorities are warning San Joaquin County residents to avoid driving.

"Avoid travel as much as possible until this week’s atmospheric river weather event subsides," Caltrans advised residents Wednesday morning.

Driving conditions may be difficult or impossible, and roads and urban areas could flood quickly as more rain pummels already saturated soil, the National Weather Service said.

If you must drive in or around Stockton, several road closures could further impact your route amid the storm.

Everything to know for California storm prep: Stockton parks close, sandbag locations

Crews at work in Stockton; road closures

Sections of major roads, including French Camp Road, Swain Road and Hammer Lane are closed, according to storm updates from the city of Stockton.

Get the list of road closures by visiting the city's website.

"With this rain that we just had, you're starting to see water collect out near the same locations where it's been before, those same intersections," city spokesperson Connie Cochran said.

Public works crews may be seen Wednesday monitoring pumping stations, cleaning catch basins and using vacuum trucks to unclog drains if necessary, Cochran said.

Storm's impact on Central Valley freeways

On Interstate 5 near the Crosstown Freeway, one of two northbound lanes is closed due to a "roadway wash-out," according to a Caltrans incident map.

Road wash-outs can occur when a drainage culvert becomes blocked, said Bob Highfill, a spokesman for Caltrans.

"Underneath the roads are these culverts, or drainage pipes. They move surface water, and keep it (from) spilling onto the roadway," he said. "Debris can flow into them. It's basically a clogged pipe."

To clear wash-outs, crews first remove any vegetation, branches and other debris collected on the drain, said Skip Allum, a Caltrans spokesperson for San Joaquin County.

"If it's clogged up like a sink, then they've got to use a vac truck," similar to how a drain snake can be used to unclog a sink or toilet, he said.

Caltrans crews hauled about 10 truckloads of debris out of the water on Tuesday when Highway 99 north of French Camp Road washed out, Allum said.

Do not drive during a storm

If you must drive, "reduce speed and follow at a safe distance, inspect wipers and replace if needed, don’t use cruise control, check headlights, inflate tires to the correct pressures and check tread," Caltrans advises.

Do not try to drive through flood water. Just one foot of water can carry off a small car, and 18-24 inches can sweep away trucks, vans and SUVs. Avoid bridges over fast-moving water, as the water could wash away the bridge without warning, the Department of Homeland Security advises.

Interview: US Rep. Josh Harder on Central California floods, Stockton youth health center

If your car stalls, get out immediately and find higher ground, unless you're surrounded by fast-moving water. If you are trapped in your car in fast-moving water, stay inside. You should get on the roof of the car and flag down help if water is rising inside the vehicle, according to FEMA.

As the storm hits San Joaquin County on Wednesday afternoon, Caltrans crews will be "patrolling at all times," Allum said.

"They'll be checking all of it," Allum said, "they'll be scanning to see if there are any drains that are clogged, keeping their eyes on canals."

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record athttps://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

Plan may send trucks down French Camp to Highway 99

A regional approach led by the San Joaquin Council of Governments could end up establishing a truck route corridor to address growing issues with trucks in the northern areas of both Manteca and Lathrop.If it is successful it will eventually create a truck route with all of the necessary improvements to accommodate truck movements as well as automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists and rail.Dubbed the “Roth Road Corridor Study”, it will identify necessary improvements to create a freight corridor between Interstate 5 an...

A regional approach led by the San Joaquin Council of Governments could end up establishing a truck route corridor to address growing issues with trucks in the northern areas of both Manteca and Lathrop.

If it is successful it will eventually create a truck route with all of the necessary improvements to accommodate truck movements as well as automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists and rail.

Dubbed the “Roth Road Corridor Study”, it will identify necessary improvements to create a freight corridor between Interstate 5 and Highway 99. It would do so by using Roth Road from I-5 to Airport Way, then Airport Way to French Camp Road, then French Camp Road to Highway 99.

Such a route — assuming an interior road in the CenterPoint Business Park currently anchored by Amazon, 5.11 Tactical and Penske/Lowe’s Home Improvement is built — would handle all truck traffic from current and future distribution centers in Manteca along Airport Way north of Del Webb.

More importantly it would address movements to and from the 900-pound gorilla when it comes to truck traffic in both Manteca and Lathrop — the Union Pacific Railroad intermodal facility in San Joaquin County jurisdiction off of Roth Road that is wedged in a no-man’s land between the two cities.

Currently the UP intermodal facility can “lift” — remove and place truck trailers on specially designed railroad flat cars — on some 270,000 container a year. At its county approved build-out that number will reach 730,000 lifts.

The average daily truck trips to and from the UP facility would go from 954 today to 2,186 at complete build-out. It would mean the average number of trucks per hour leaving or departing the intermodal facility would go from 39.75 every hour to 91. Weekend traffic is 5 to 10 percent of work day traffic. Monday would be the heaviest day for truck movement at build-out with 2,585 trips compared to 1,056 in the most recent count.

Such a truck route could take a truck route for the Airport Way corridor off the table or potentially reduce it to segments instead. That’s because there is apparently an offer in the works by a developer to buy the property and development rights for 760 homes of the Villa Ticino West project on the southwest corner of Louise Avenue and Airport Way.

The city’s current general plan update that is still being processed is calling for that land and the balance of the Villa Ticino West project that included roughly 300 apartments and commercial along Louise Avenue to be converted to a business park with more than 3 million square feet of distribution center space. Given the land is already entitled for 1,060 housing units homes can legally be built there despite what the next general plan update says

If that happens, the need to send trucks down Airport Way to the 120 Bypass would be eliminated. However the city still needs a legal truck route for moving freight to and from Medline and the Amazon Prime on Louise Avenue and any industrial development the city may allow on West Yosemite Avenue west of Airport Way.

The only way to avoid Airport Way is for the trucks to be sent to the McKinley Avenue interchange at the 120 Bypass that Manteca continues to move closer to completion. Most of McKinley Avenue to make that work, however, is within the city limits of Lathrop.

It is not out of the realm of possibility given the stretches of Yosemite and Louise to reach McKinley in Lathrop as well as McKinley south to Yosemite in Lathrop have existing industrial uses and is in position to develop more.

It would require Manteca negotiating with Lathrop and likely agreeing to foot part of the cost for truck route improvements, however, for that to occur.

It would be similar to efforts SJCOG is pursuing on the Roth Road Corridor Study. The overall study pegged at $300,000 will be a cooperative effort that includes Manteca, Lathrop, San Joaquin County and SJCOG. Each agency would be required to contribute $75,000 each to the cost

The study will then identify improvements needed and the pro-rated share each jurisdiction would pay based on current and future industrial and business park uses.

The trucking issues in northwest Manteca are somewhat different than what is plaguing much of the rest of the city although there is some over lap.

The illegal truck parking problem consists of independent and contract drivers who typically have their own truck cabs and may also have their own trailers or pull those of a firm they are hauling for.

They are not tied to distribution centers in Manteca nor are they parked there because of a need to take a break from driving under federal law. They are basically people that live in Manteca — or nearby — who have their own rigs and need a place to park them when they go home after work.

Instead of using commercial lots they opt to save money and park on Manteca’s city streets.

That said a number of the trailers moved in and out of the UP intermodal facility are done so by independents.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email [email protected]

Volunteer leads cleanup of century-old Jewish cemetery in San Joaquin County

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.FRENCH CAMP, Calif. (KTXL) — Repeatedly trashed and vandalized, a 111-year-old Jewish cemetery in San Joaquin County is finally getting cleaned up.So far, 12,000 pounds of trash have been hauled away, including tires destined for the recycling center. A volunteer San Joaquin County Jail inmate rolled off with one on Thursday, a small but helpful part of a major cleanup ...

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

FRENCH CAMP, Calif. (KTXL) — Repeatedly trashed and vandalized, a 111-year-old Jewish cemetery in San Joaquin County is finally getting cleaned up.

So far, 12,000 pounds of trash have been hauled away, including tires destined for the recycling center. A volunteer San Joaquin County Jail inmate rolled off with one on Thursday, a small but helpful part of a major cleanup that Marc Corren had worked so hard for.

“If you saw the garbage I’ve hauled out of here the last two years,” says Marc Corren, a volunteer at Temple Israel of Stockton. “It became obvious to me that if not for you, who are you expecting to protect sacred ground?”

Corren said over the past two years, he has felt profound sadness with the piles of trash and human waste that have littered the cemetery.

“Imagine coming in to see the graves of your parents and you find that someone’s in here cooking food that’s illegally tapped into your electrical system,” he said.

Vandals have also used the gravestones to dry their clothes, along with tearing down the back fence and destroying the cemetery’s pump.

“(They) left the hose on for 24 hours,” Corren said. “Hundreds of gallons went onto the ground and made that grave sink.”

The cemetery is run by a network of volunteers who tried their best to fix the mess, but Corren said people kept breaking in. So, he reached out to law enforcement, as well as city and county leaders.

“The great Sheriff Withrow. He took this and championed our cause,” Corren told FOX40.

Deputy Alan Sanchez of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department said not only was the cleanup important, providing local resources was integral.

“We’re gonna do our best to not only eradicate that area but also offer services to the people who live here,” Sanchez said.

Some of the damage is still left, but Corren’s gratitude is limitless, especially given his family history.

“My father liberated a Nazi concentration camp, a death camp,” he said. “So, I do it out of respect for him.”

Corren estimates the damage at more than $10,000. He said he will be raising funds to help pay for the repairs.

Reports calls for French Camp Fire to consolidate

The San Joaquin County Grand Jury thinks that it is past time for the French Camp McKinley Fire District to be consolidated with a neighboring agency.In a scathing report released on Thursday, the grand jury questioned the French Camp McKinley Fire District’s ability to provide essential services to important county complexes like the San Joaquin County Jail and San Joaquin General Hospital and recommended that the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors conduct an independent review to determine the feasibility of the ongoing s...

The San Joaquin County Grand Jury thinks that it is past time for the French Camp McKinley Fire District to be consolidated with a neighboring agency.

In a scathing report released on Thursday, the grand jury questioned the French Camp McKinley Fire District’s ability to provide essential services to important county complexes like the San Joaquin County Jail and San Joaquin General Hospital and recommended that the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors conduct an independent review to determine the feasibility of the ongoing service arrangement.

After a tumultuous year which led to a shakeup of the independent district’s top brass – including the dismissal of some personnel and the extended leave of Fire Chief Fred Manding – the report details a culture of backbiting, ongoing litigation, and generally poor morale coupled with inadequate financial management, financial misconduct, and virtually nonexistent board oversight.

The toxic culture in the workplace alone, the report states, has cost the district more than $400,000 in lawsuits with several more currently pending. In a table that outlines the number of grievances that have been filed and investigations that have been conducted over the past six years, French Camp – which only has 16 firefighters – has had at least 12 and was second only to Stockton, which employs 179 firefighters, which only had 14.

The Lathrop Manteca Fire District, for example, which has more than double the number of firefighters as French Camp McKinley, only had one grievance filed while the Ripon, Escalon, and Mokelumne Fire Districts had none.

Part of what allowed that culture to exist, the report stated, was little to no oversight by the district’s Board of Directors – whose opinions of the status of the workplace varied drastically. One board member that was interviewed, according to the report, estimated that there were between 15 and 20 grievances that were filed over the last five years, while another estimated the number between 2 and 3.

Part of the issue, according to the grand jury, is that the district doesn’t have a clear policy manual to set workplace expectations of the employees that work there. While French Camp McKinley did purchase a policy template from a private, for-profit company in 2016 that was supposed to be customized to fit the unique needs of the agency, that work never appears to have been completed.

And since “significant ongoing changes to the California Fire Code require updates to policies and procedures as statutes, case law, and regulations change,” the need to “regularly” update the Policy Manual would also “communicate clear and concise policy guidance to employees,” according to the grand jury’s report.

Other findings include:

uPast investigations into personnel issues determined that the district had a very high likelihood of facing “severe litigation” due to the “actions of individuals employed by the district and the inaction of Board members in resolving employee issues.”

uA Battalion Chief’s behaviors warranted a “serious written reprimand and the recommended disciplinary action was not implemented.”

uAlleged final misconduct by District employees was “identified by the Interim Fire Chief and confirmed by the County Auditor-Controller’s office” and may end up costing the District over $100,000. The entire situation went “undetected by the Board of Directors Finance Subcommittee.”

The grand jury also claimed that inadequate testing procedures within the department allowed for less qualified candidates to be promoted into positions that “require them to make decisions based on qualifications, training, and experience” – something that jeopardized public safety.

The ensuing fallout of the report could spell an end to the independent district as it now known if the recommendations are adopted by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors and the agencies that are under its control.

The report clearly calls into question the district’s ability to adequately protect some of San Joaquin County’s most vital assets, noting that the “absence of steady leadership, excessive turnover of personnel, and financial instability” means that their ability to serve those facilities and the constituents is “questionable.”

In the report’s conclusion, the grand jury pulled no punches on what its findings mean for the district or the people that they are sworn to serve.

“French Camp McKinley Fire District has been struggling on multiple fronts for the last decade and is currently in disarray. Continual turnover of the Fire Chief position and failed oversight by the District’s Board of Directors has exposed the District to expensive investigations and litigation,” the conclusion reads. “Although the Interim Fire Chief has made progress in his short tenure at the District, the process required to transform the District into a fully functional, efficient Fire District will take many years at best. The constituents of this District, and the hard-working firefighters that serve them, deserve better.”

And efforts to move towards consolidation are already underway.

The neighboring Lathrop Manteca Fire District has already publicly expressed interest in pushing for a takeover after a flap over who got to provide service to the Flying J Truck Stop on Roth Road resulted in a sliver of the City of Lathrop falling under the jurisdiction of French Camp McKinley despite the fact that it doesn’t have a hazardous materials program in place to handle a major spill – something that the grand jury report reiterated.

While the neighboring districts have long had a working relationship, tensions over the decision by LAFCO to create an island in the City of Lathrop – the first time since the city was incorporated in 1989 that Lathrop Manteca didn’t provide fire service for all property inside of Lathrop’s city limit – led to administrators at Lathrop Manteca requesting access to the district’s financials to determine the financial feasibility of combining jurisdictions.

The French Camp McKinley Fire District will have 90 days from the receipt of the report to submit responses to all of the report’s findings and will largely have until the end of the year to meet the recommendations. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors will also have to respond to the recommendation that they study whether French Camp McKinley is the most viable option to protect the county’s vital assets moving forward.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email [email protected] or call 209.249.3544.

Groundbreaking for new Stockton VA Clinic is dream turned reality for veterans

Veterans were thrilled to finally see their clinic dream become a reality.FRENCH CAMP, Calif. — Stockton Army veteran Brownie Elder wanted to see for herself, the beginnings of a new VA Clinic, years in the making.She came out along with other veterans and dignitaries for the today's official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Stockton VA Clinic located next to the San Joaquin General Hospital."Starting right here and seeing this process, it means a lot. It means a lot," said Elder, who served as a comba...

Veterans were thrilled to finally see their clinic dream become a reality.

FRENCH CAMP, Calif. — Stockton Army veteran Brownie Elder wanted to see for herself, the beginnings of a new VA Clinic, years in the making.

She came out along with other veterans and dignitaries for the today's official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Stockton VA Clinic located next to the San Joaquin General Hospital.

"Starting right here and seeing this process, it means a lot. It means a lot," said Elder, who served as a combat veteran in the Army from 1978-1996.

While there is already a temporary Stockton VA Clinic in French Camp, this new $143 million facility will be more than ten times the size and cater to an anticipated 25,000 veterans.

RELATED: Home Depot surprises 92-year-old WWII veteran with home renovations

By contrast, the existing clinic currently serves 15,000 veterans.

"This is a new method. A new way of doing healthcare and our mental health will be embedded in the same clinic, so the mental health, primary care all comes to the veteran, one room," said Thomas Fitzgerald, Director of the Palo Alto Health Care System.

The biggest complaint for San Joaquin County veterans is the drive they need to take to get VA medical treatment. Right now, veterans must drive to clinics in Palo Alto or Livermore.

But, soon with the new clinic the drive will be much shorter.

"I was just over at Livermore the other day. It's an hour, hour and half drive just to go to Livermore," said Lodi Air Force Veteran Kenneth Kramlich, who served from 1960-1964.

"The veterans that are in San Joaquin County have to get on a bus at 7:30 in the morning to get to Livermore or to Palo Alto for, like I said, a 15 minute appointment, and they're there all day," added Elder.

Congressman Jerry McNerney worked more than a decade to get the federal funding to make a veteran's healthcare commute a whole lot easier.

RELATED: PAWS for the cause: Bill aims at pairing service dogs with veterans who have severe PTSD

"And, as I've been on a ride-a-long with one of those veterans, a four-hour drive in traffic - you got a short visit, and you got a four-hour drive back. It's just unacceptable," said Representative Jerry McNerney, whose 9th District includes Stockton, Lodi and Galt.

Construction is expected to be completed in two years.

A new 80-bed veterans Community Living Center housing complex will be built nearby as well.

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