Honoring Veterans

Before joining the Casa de la Luz Hospice team, I can’t say I knew much about veterans (or about hospice—these weren’t topics I covered in journalism school). That said, I have spent the past several months learning about hospice and veterans through the We Honor Veterans program. 

It’s difficult for me to imagine a time when we never thanked our veterans, when people even spit on soldiers upon their return, as they did during the Vietnam era. But, as I’m quickly learning, it’s never too late to say thank you. 

The We Honor Veterans program is a partnership between the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program encourages hospices around the country to enroll as a partner in order to increase access to hospice care for veterans, to strengthen relationships with veteran organizations, and to build a stronger model of care that recognizes the unique needs of veterans.

The early stages of the We Honor Veterans partnership focuses on veteran education, helping hospice professionals recognize the unique needs and traits of our former service members. NHPCO offers veteran-specific webinars and practical resources as training for hospice workers. I read Peace At Last, by Deborah Grassman, a hospice nurse at a Florida VA Medical Center, and gained an incredible amount of knowledge, not only about recognizing psychosocial issues in veterans, but also in how to help a veteran at the end of life resolve his/her war-related issues. Through positive, proactive education, hospice professionals can offer veterans a death with comfort and dignity.

Casa de la Luz Hospice is excited to be a Level 1 partner in this national program, and grateful for the opportunity to offer our veteran patients a peaceful death. Continue to follow our blog for updates about our We Honor Veterans activities as well as information about caring for veteran patients.

Visit the We Honor Veterans website to learn more about the program. 

By Carrie Bui, Communications Specialist