Lourdes Hospice is now recognized as a We Honor Veterans Partner. As a We Honor Veterans Partner, Lourdes Hospice is implementing ongoing Veteran-centered education for their staff and volunteers to help improve the care they provide to the Veterans they proudly serve.
The goals of this program are to help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women. The nation is seeing many of the Veterans who served in World War II and the Korean War pass away, and the number of deaths of Vietnam Veterans is beginning to rise. Twenty-five percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are Veterans.
Lourdes Hospice has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Partners integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to Veterans into their organization. By recognizing the unique needs of Veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, Lourdes Hospice is better able to guide Veterans and their families toward a more peaceful ending. In cases where there may be some specific needs related to the Veterans’ military service, combat experience or other traumatic events, Lourdes Hospice will find tools to help support those they are caring for.
“Lourdes Hospice already serves Veterans but we may not always be aware of a patient’s history of service in the military,” said Stacie Hansen, director of Lourdes Hospice. “Through the We Honor Veterans partnership, we are able to better identify our Veterans and provide more appropriate care and better meet the needs of those Veterans at the end of life.”
Through We Honor Veterans we are taking a giant step forward in helping hospice and palliative care providers understand and serve Veterans at the end of life and work more effectively with VA medical facilities in their communities,” J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization added. “The VA shares a common goal with our nation’s hospices, and that is to provide the best possible care specifically tailored for Veterans, meeting their goals of care in their preferred setting. As we focus on working together and unite our services and skills, We Honor Veterans will channel our combined strengths directly to Veterans – wherever they are receiving care.”
The resources of We Honor Veterans focus on respectful and compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment, coupled with Veteran-centric education of health care staff caring for Veterans. To learn more about We Honor Veterans, visit www.wehonorveterans.org.
