What Sets Us Apart
Our veterans have put their lives on the line to serve and protect our country and the freedoms we now enjoy. Proudly locally owned and operated by a military veteran, AMERICAN VETERANS HOSPICE is honored to provide hospice care for these veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.
Since a lot of veterans from the armed forces face unique physical, spiritual, and psychosocial challenges at the end-of-life stage, we at AMERICAN VETERANS HOSPICE have undergone specialized training in addressing their needs in hospice care.
Veterans in hospice care show common emotions which include anger, guilt, grief, and fear. Those who have experienced combat are often haunted by its traumatic effects which cause depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Some veterans even show compulsive or aggressive behavior or express thoughts of self-harm. This is known as post-traumatic stress disorder which can be a long-term struggle for veterans or may only emerge later in life.
These emotions and the feeling of having no one to understand their experiences can lead to social isolation for veterans as they age. This is why our staff can help them deal with these feelings as they provide empathy and support. Hospice care for veterans also helps through family education to help family members understand what their loved one is experiencing.
Honoring Our Veterans
The Honoring Our Veterans program pays tribute to our Veterans and all they and their families have sacrificed for our country. This program includes a special ceremony where veterans receive a medal of honor, certificate of appreciation, and a cap to recognize their service.
Several veterans who receive hospice care do not discuss their service records or military experiences. The Honoring Our Veterans program gives the veteran the gratitude of a grateful nation while allowing their family to understand the depth of their service and sacrifices.
Veteran-to-Veteran Hospice Volunteer Program
All individuals of our military possess an incredible sense of honor and duty, and it is often what led them to military service. That calling usually leads them to volunteer in support of fellow veterans when they enter civilian life. We call this veteran hospice service our Vet to Vet Team as who else would take better care of a military veteran than a military Veteran?
As an AMERICAN VETERANS HOSPICE Volunteer, veterans offer support to fellow veterans facing their end-of-life journey in hospice care. No one can comprehend military service and the experiences that come with it like a fellow veteran. Regardless of age, location of deployment, or military branch, veteran volunteers are able to connect and offer meaningful camaraderie.
The AMERICAN VETERANS HOSPICE Vet-to-Vet Team can make companionship visits to fellow veterans in hospice and join in Veteran Recognition Ceremonies. They give empathy like no one else can at a time when their fellow veteran needs it most.
A veteran volunteer can provide assistance or support with:
- Emotional support
- Lending an ear to life story telling
- Taking part in honoring veterans
- Other non-medical assistance in the home
We Honor Veterans
AMERICAN VETERANS HOSPICE is proud to be recognized as partners of We Honor Veterans, a program of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. This is a pioneering program that recognizes hospice agencies providing a systemic commitment to improving hospice care for veterans through compassionate listening, respectful inquiry, and grateful acknowledgment.
Our gratitude towards veterans will never be enough for their service and sacrifices for our country, but we can make it our commitment to provide them with hospice care that understands and respects their needs as they approach their final days.
This program provides useful resources and educational tools to achieve these goals:
- Increase the capacity to serve veterans
- Increase access and improve the quality of services
- Promote educational activities
- Support strategic partnerships