European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 11 Ann Landers dear Ann Landers i live in Oregon. My Mother age 89, was in a nursing Home in California. It Cost $2.700 a month to keep her there but my two Brothers and i shared the Bills and we were Happy to have found a place that was cheerful and staffed with what we believed were caring and competent people. I visited Mother every month. She is a wonderful person an has Given so generously to her family that i feel it is a privilege to be Able to do something for her. Mother had been in the Home for nearly a year. About five months ago. I noticed that she was becom ing lethargic. When i came to see her she had to be shaken out of her sleep. A few months ago when i went to visit her eyes looked vacant and she could t stay awake. I thought her age was finally catching up with her and that this was to be expected. The following month i Learned the truth. When i walked into her room she was like a Zombie. I immediately went to find a nurse. The Young woman i spoke with seemed frightened and was reluctant to speak. When 1 asked what in the world is happening to my Mother she said the same thing that is happening to everybody else Here. I m going to Tell you because i m leaving on Friday. I can t stand it  she then described How her supervisor orders the nurses to give heavy sedatives and Tranquili Zers to the patients especially when they Are Short staffed in order to manage them More  in other words the patients arc being drugged. I phoned my Brothers immediately. They said bring Mother Home tonight and Well find another  within the week we put Mother in a wonderful facility Only an hour from my front door. She has Bee there 10 Days and already i see a great improvement. Her eyes arc sparkling again and she is much More like her old self. I know this letter is too Long to print but i Hope you will Cut it Down so it will fit into your space. Your readers need to know this. It is urgent of course there is such a thing As senility and dam age from Small strokes but i am now sure that what happened to my Mother is happening to other elderly people and it must be slopped. Thank you. My Mother s daughter dear Friend thank you for flashing the red Light. While most nursing Homes do a Good Job some do not. You have highlighted one of the most serious abuses Ove Medica Tion for the convenience of the  if any of you readers suspect that your elderly loved ones Are being victimized in this Way please discuss it with your family doctor at once. At legitimate Homes you have the right to bring in your own physician at any time. If there is any doubt about the care being Given Don t hesitate to do so. For those who Are taking care of an elderly Parent at Home i d like to recommend an organization that will give you help with a wide Range of problems. It is Caps children of aging parents2761 Trenton Road lev town a. 19056. Please enclose a Long self addressed stamped envelope. This organization has comprehensive resource files for every state Canada and Mexico. It will refer people with personal problems to the appropriate Agency and offer help in a variety of ways. Caps has my five Star Seal of approval. Los Angeles times syndicated columnist lenders we ennui your letters. You can write to her in care of the stars and stripes Apo 09211, . Forces letters attention to detail vital in typing orders the Jan. 9, 1989, Issue of the Usa eur bulletin details the growing number of administrative errors being encountered by personnel handling the Flag or Ders for individuals travelling to from and within Berlin. According to this account a 20 percent error rate is being experienced at checkpoint Alpha on the Helm so cd Berlin autobahn and a 60 percent error rate has been reported by the Berlin booking office at the rail transportation office in Frankfurt. This bulletin cites misspelling erasures paste overs and correction fluid As some of the causes of unnecessary delays for travel ers and in the worst cases a potentially embarrassing political incident. I would Lilic to suggest a far More economical Way of addressing this problem. Why not upgrade the capabilities of these processing centers by using computers to generate these detailed and specific documents the discomfort created by having to retype shoddy paper work can be replaced with a first rate Quality product that will eliminate embarrassment and inconvenience. Personnel at these checkpoints Are far More knowledgeable of the peculiarities concerning Flag orders and can in the Long term save a significant amount of time and Effort both to themselves and to the numerous administrative personnel at units throughout usar eur. Automation and standardization can turn this alarming error rate around. The focus can then be placed on ensuring thai the Correct information is made available to processing personnel rather than on ensuring that documents Are it scr perfect and free of error. Leadership is action it. Col. Richard a. Muirragui Darmstadt West Germany editor s note marry Podkalicki foreign travel specialist. Personnel services Branch personnel actions division personnel services support director ate 1st personnel come he Usa eur replies the writer s interest in eliminating the alarming error rate in the preparation of Berlin movement orders is commendable. However there Are several reasons that prevent implementation of the writer s suggestion. First Flag orders May Only be issued o entitled individuals by commanders empowered to Issue orders. The military police at the checkpoints and the personnel at the rail transportation offices to cannot determine an individual s entitlement to receive Flag orders. Next automation of the process is not the answer. When the clerk types "23 mar 89" instead of "23 mar 89," it is incorrect. The word processor did not make an error the clerk did. Training not automation is the answer to correcting the problem of incorrectly prepared Flag orders. Finally preparation of Flag orders by personnel at the checkpoints and Rios will significantly increase proc Essing time particularly at the checkpoints and cause unacceptable delays to travellers. Additionally As the identity document has not been checked at the Parent unit travellers Are at risk of being denied travel due to mutilated or expired identity documents. Usa eur regulation 550-180/usnaveur instruction 1050.7c/usafe regulation 30-28, clearance and documentation for travel to from and in Berlin 30 May 80, and Usa eur poster 550-180, travel to Berlin via duty train or autobahn june 85, contain policy and procedures for travelling to Berlin including detailed step by step instructions for preparing Flag or Ders. Army says it can t Force gis to pay debts the army Community is always seeking better relations Between German citizens and the americans Liv ing in their country. Why is it then that american living on the German Economy get away without pay ing their debts if they Are chartered out of the service i be worked in several housing referral offices and have experienced this problem very very often. In t there some regulation concerning this specific prob Lem Why do the German landlords have to pay for the damages rent electric or water Bills if they Ameri cans were living in the United states they would surely be held liable for their debts. If they were living in government quarters you can bet your Bottom Dollar they d pay before they left the country. Why does the Chain of command not enforce rules and regulations if there arc any when it comes to these soldiers trying to get out of the country without taking care of their debts please explain or quote some regulations regarding these problems. I believe the relationship Between Bot countries would improve considerably were these conditions corrected. It is not Only the landlords who catch the worst part of the bargain the housing referral employees have to take it from both sides. The landlords Are screaming Down our necks for their Money and the soldiers arc crying because they claim they Are being treated unjustly or they Don t have the funds to pay. How about taking it a Little easier on us. All we re trying to do is find you a Home As soon As we possibly can. Name withheld trails Helm West Germany editor s note capt. Christine d. Arrington chief Legal assistance officer. Legal assistance division office of judge advocate he Usa eur replies Dod directives and army regulations require All department of the army members to manage their person Al affairs satisfactorily and pay their debts promptly. The army however has no Legal authority to farce sol Diers to pay their debts. Nor can the army divert any part of a serve remember s pay for payment of a debt. Only civil authorities can enforce payment of private debts. However a 600-15 provides specific procedures for handling debt complaints. If a service member is not trying to resolve complaints of unpaid debts the com Mander May consider action against the Soldier ranging from a letter to be filed in the permanent part of the Soldier s record to Ucma punishment the landlord tenant relationship often results in Hon Estly disputed issues. If the Soldier does not admit the debt the army has no Legal authority to adjudicate the matter. That matter is better left to the civil courts. If the landlord gets a civil judgment the service member is expected to comply with that court order. However the army cannot retain a Soldier in country for civil indebtedness. Unfortunately some individuals will take unfair advantage of the difficulty the landlord or other creditor has in enforcing just claims after the member has a permanent change of station. This same Type of individual also takes advantage of creditors in the United states. All letters to the editor must contain the full printed name and address of the writer and must be signed. Wedo not read unsigned letters but we will withhold your name on request and protect your privacy All letters Are subject to editing. European edition col Jeffrey m. Cook us commander editor in Civet it col Suzanne l. Phillips. Usa Deputy commander editor in Cutet Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane 0. Mcdermot production manager managing editor circulation men Eger this newspaper to an authorised unofficial publication Lor members Olff a military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Sra not necessarily me official views of or endorsed by the . Government me department of Devenaa or the . European command the appearance of advertising in this Pum Cabon including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by me department of de Tenie. A the Slais and stripes of me products or services advertised. 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