It may surprise many people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are veterans.
To help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women, Hospice of the Carolina Foothills (HoCF) has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a campaign developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The nation is seeing many of the veterans who served in World War II and Korea pass away, and the number of deaths of Vietnam veterans is beginning to rise.
As a We Honor Veterans Partner, HoCF will implement ongoing veteran-centered education for their staff and volunteers to help improve the care they provide to the veterans they proudly serve.
HoCF will assess their ability to serve veterans and, using resources provided as part of the campaign, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans into their organization.
In cases where there might be some specific needs related to the veteran’s military service, combat experience, or other traumatic events, HoCF will find tools to help support those they are caring for.
According to HoCF CEO Jean Eckert, 20 percent of patients served in 2010 were veterans.
“And we are fully committed to providing the best possible care specifically tailored for Veterans, meeting their goals of care in their preferred setting.  We are privileged to be able to serve those who have served our country,” said Eckert.
During the end of May, HoCF honored 18 veterans who reside in four skilled nursing facilities in North and South Carolina: Camp Care Inman, Golden Age Inman, Inman Healthcare and Autumn Care Saluda. According to HoCF chaplain Rev. Dean Elliott, “the veterans seemed pleased to be honored and remembered, and there was definitely a sense of pride among them, their families, and the nursing home and hospice staff who were in attendance.”

– article submitted by Marsha Van Hecke