KTLA News: "Reaction to relocation of residents at Veterans Administration domiciliary" (1972)

this is clean what is your reaction to this move of uh ladies from the thing is that people hadn't had enough time to gather their brains together for this shock there's some women that have been here 16 years I've been here two and a half years and I have never with all the doctors that I've paid had the treatment I came here sick and in three weeks I could get out there and do that lawn and and and enjoy doing it so I have no contention all I say is that they should give us and should have given us because the government knew since last April that the changes were coming and if they had given us enough time sawel well my reaction would be the very fact that possibly you do have elderly people here that are being uprooted out of their homes should we say they've been here 20 maybe 15 20 years some of them they have do have disabilities they have stayed here for many a year and now they feel like they're being uprooted but also you have your young people who are here too that are anxious for a change should we say so the effects should be good I should say uh speaking from my own thinking I am very very thankful for having been a patient member here having received the care of the Veterans Administration Hospital having received the care of the resident psychiatrists that have been here at the VA hospital having received all of the therapy that has been taken over 3 years for me to get well in here this is only my thinking and I'm sure there are others that go along with me on this I cannot say too much against the protest yesterday because I do not know all of the feelings of the Veterans Hospital against this decision that was made very very quickly we should say um the um most of the ladies adjusted now I'm sure the men have very well [Music] um might I add that um some of them are quite unhappy this is normal uh the effect I should think should be very nice in other words there'll be changed to other hospitals uh different things to do different uh uh ideas new changes I think it' be I think it's a very good idea really that uh the area is being taken care of especially since it is a earthquake problem and I think uh a lot of us think of this but I do think that they do get extremely nervous and it's on account of their conditions but I am very very happy I wouldn't say I would be happy to have been completely a patient of this PL the area but I am very very happy with my care and uh if I get changed somewhere else I'm sure that I will have all the help of the doctors they have worked with me for three years and I am very proud that I have had the experience of the veteran Administration in my health and the benefit of the doctors and the nurses that have worked with me thank you Miss Anderson what is your reaction to this move of you and some of the ladies here well my first reaction is this that I have never in all my life and during the time that I even own my own home had better treatment than I've had here at the Veterans Administration I'm I'm deeply grateful I don't mind them making their changes because they're looking out really for the veterans and their safety but what I do mind sir is the fact that we haven't had enough time to scratch our heads I in November leased an apartment and I'm under that lease I'll have to pay whether I stay in the place or not when I moved some of my things on Saturday to the place I found that I I cannot it would be like walking into from Heaven into hell so I came back and asked the doctor what could I do she said well we'll I never wanted to discharge you uh and we have pension to to live on to be sure I worked for the post office I'm a retired postal Clerk and I have enough to live on but it Grieves me really deep down to have them come to me and they all seem to like me I've gotten along with every one of them and they come and ask me Myrtle what can I do so I just call Mr putam cuz I know he can do something