Families of displaced Alabama veterans looking forward to return to state-of-the-art facility

ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WDHN) — The permanent home for about 100 Enterprise veterans will not reopen until at least September 2026 because of the delayed delivery of materials needed to restore the Benny G. Adkins Veterans Home.

Families of the displaced veterans are frustrated. The veterans are being held at the Enterprise Rehabilitation Center, where they have been since April.

“Disappointed the facility is not what Benny G. Adkins is,” Carol Nix said. “It’s not that beautiful, so we have to get us to what they gave us.”

The veterans were moved in April after a fire at the home, which caused significant damage to the roof.

Repairs at the veterans’ home are expected to take around a year to complete and are anticipated to cost between $50 million to $60 million because of increases in material and labor costs.

One of the more than 90 veterans being cared for at Enterprise Rehab is Danny Nix, Carol’s husband. According to her, his care began to dwindle months ago but now appears to be moving slowly forward.

“There was a lot of trial and error and a lot of work to be done, but now that things are beginning to come together,” Carol Nix said. “That’s fantastic.”

One of the issues she initially encountered, she claimed, was her husband’s oral hygiene, something he takes pride in normally.

“Your body is healthy when your teeth are healthy,” Carol Nix said. “We are all about flossing and brushing, and when we did it last Friday, there was no blood, so it lets me know they are doing their job.”

Carol Nix said her husband’s temporary home could also use some improvement.

“The facility is old,” Carol Nix said. “It smells and looks old. You cannot overlook that. The air conditioning in there is also old. It’s just not what it should be.”

Carol Nix said she recently had to go out of her way to workers and even higher-ups, with whom she has a meeting this week, to see progress.

“Somebody needs to speak up for the residents,” Carol Nix said. “I had to be a voice because my husband can’t say what he needs, so sometimes they need to be told.”

Carol Nix said while she is grateful for her husband’s care, she will remain optimistic over the next year. She said, however, she would like to see more empathy and sympathy from some nurse assistants.