Honoring Veterans
At The End Of Life
According to the most recent statistics from the US Census, there are currently 699,000 veterans living in New York state. Each is as unique as the next.
Part of our commitment to the community includes the responsibility to care for our veterans in a way that is unique to them and their military experience; honoring their service to our country and understanding the traumas this may bring at such a delicate time in their lives.
We continuously strive to create a veteran-centric, caring environment where our staff is educated on the effects of war and how those experiences may trigger certain emotions at the end of life.
Some veterans may feel bitterness about an illness they may have acquired as a result of being in the war, some may feel a need to be forgiven for contributing to lives lost, and some may suddenly become depressed over remembering a friend they never said goodbye to. The emotions can vary, and we want to be prepared to address them as delicately and respectfully as possible.
When a veteran enters into our hospice program, they are cared for by an experienced professional who is specifically trained to understand their unique needs. Our care team visits the bedside, provides them with a veteran certificate of appreciation and if possible, a ceremony with military staff is arranged. Other elements of our program include:
- Veteran to veteran volunteer visits
- Flag pinning ceremonies
- Military Burial
- Importantly, assistance resources available to veterans
We take our commitment seriously and that is why MJHS was the first hospice in greater New York to earn Level 5 Partner status in the We Honor Veterans initiative. Your donation will allow us to continue to honor our veterans at this important time in their lives.
Learn more about how MJHS meets veterans’ special needs at the end of life.
“Knowing how proud my dad was of being a veteran, MJHS coordinated a ceremony that included some of my father’s Army buddies, friends and family. To everyone’s surprise, they presented him with a We Honor Veterans Certificate of Appreciation thanking him for his service during WWII. This was one of my father’s proudest moments. “
We Honor Veterans was developed jointly between the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization with the mission of better addressing veterans’ needs at this important time of life.
