HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Nonpartisan legislative staff members are recommending major changes to the aging Connecticut Veterans Home in Rocky Hill, saying there are needs for more intensive counseling and separate programs for long- and short-term residents.

The legislature's Program Review and Investigations Committee staff said in a report released Friday that current living arrangements in the main residential facility, where about 188 veterans now live, are unacceptable. Residents have no privacy in the dormitory setting. The report recommends giving each resident a semi-private or private room.

Staff investigators say the state should consider how much additional staff and programming it might need to accommodate more veterans with mental health issues, including those who've had suicidal tendencies.

The panel is expected to vote next year to forward the recommendations to other committees for consideration.