The active military is an impressive force—1.3 million strong and growing every year. Service to your country is a noble endeavor, but even the most dedicated soldier can find it grueling. Troops not only have to worry about physical injuries but emotional damage as well. Knowing this, the Veterans Administration provides active troop and veterans support through medical coverage. Because veterans deserve lifelong respect, the VA’s comprehensive medical package also covers hospice care. Many veterans and their families are unaware that this end-of-life program is fully covered and end up leaving the benefit unused. Taking advantage of the plan can help terminal patients find spiritual, emotional, and physical relief so that they can find joy in spending time with their loved ones. How Is Veterans Support Hospice Care Different? While comfort and dignity are important for any patient during end-of-life care, veterans deserve the utmost respect. The VA pays for hospice service to help veterans manage the physical, emotional, and mental trauma involved in this final stage. Even if their injury or illness doesn’t stem directly from their time in the service, every veteran has earned the right to a comfortable end. Veterans hospice care coverage pays for a variety of services to fit an individual soldier’s needs. Treatments may include counseling, pain management, and even spiritual guidance as a veteran learns to accept a hard situation. Veterans can choose to be treated in a hospice house or spend their final days receiving treatment at home. How Do VA Hospice Benefits Work? Although hospice goes beyond physical care, it’s considered a medical service, with comprehensive coverage that matches the VA medical plan. Whether a veteran needs a bereavement counselor, home aid, case manager, chaplain, or all of the above, they shouldn’t have to pay a penny out of pocket. That being said, there are specific requirements to be eligible for hospice care through the VA. First, you must be a veteran, a direct dependent of a veteran, or a surviving parent, spouse, or child of a deceased veteran. Active military members may also qualify. In addition, to apply for hospice care coverage, you'll need to have: • A life-limiting illness diagnosis • Comfort-focused treatment goals rather than actively seeking a cure • Six-months or less to live, as evidenced by a VA doctor If you meet all of the requirements, any hospice care you receive from the VA or a VA-contracted organization will be covered in full. Hospice of the Golden Isles is contracted with the VA to provide end-stage services to veterans. We consider ourselves privileged to support the heroes who supported our nation. Veterans in our Hospice House receive personalized care and recognition to assist them with their unique physical and emotional needs. Our non-profit hospice team is happy to discuss our programs for both veterans and civilians. We take pride in helping families find happiness during a difficult time. To learn more about our Veterans Support Hospice Care in southeast coastal Georgia, call 912.265.4735. Coming home from a war is a serious ordeal, and though veterans’ services exist throughout the United States, there are several areas where veterans’ support needs critical improvement. Too often, war veterans return with mental health issues that are never addressed, have difficulty finding jobs or paying for higher education, and miss out on the financial benefits that promised to them. Without adequate veterans’ support services, these individuals are at a higher risk of facing serious mental illness and even suicide. Better funding and assistance are necessary to improve veterans’ support services in the following areas. Transition Support
Transitioning from a war filled with violence, intense situations, and death to everyday life is no easy task. Transition support is necessary to provide veterans with the skills and opportunities they need to return to their lives. It is often difficult for veterans to find jobs, fit in with their families and friends, and work through their painful memories. More and more veterans are now homeless and jobless, struggling to find their way in life after returning home, and current efforts from federal agencies are not adequate to provide for these individuals' needs during their transition period. An increase in funding and government-implemented transition programs is necessary to create a viable home life for veterans. Mental Health Services It is becoming increasingly common for veterans to experience mental illnesses, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, after returning from combat. Further, many members of the military enter the service with existing mental illnesses, and after the stress and difficulties they faced in combat, they return home with even worse symptoms. Though mental health services have received attention in the past, more emphasis must be placed on crisis intervention and mental health assistance for our veterans. Housing Assistance Too many veterans become homeless just a few years after leaving the military. Homelessness could result from mental illness, the inability to find a job, or a lack of family support. Current housing assistance for veterans falls short of adequately providing for the needs of those who are at risk of becoming homeless. Though some veterans can find temporary housing in homeless shelters, veterans with children often struggle to find shelters that will take in their kids. Many housing solutions are temporary, and long-term veterans’ support is needed to keep these men and women off the streets and provide them with a safe, stable place to live. Disability Aid Many veterans injured in combat face life-long physical disabilities as a result of those injuries. Though disability assistance does exist, many veterans are required to wait months or years to receive the monetary compensation they were promised, and in the meantime, their physical ailments continue to worsen. Funding and assistance for veterans with disabilities must be improved to better care for the brave men and women who risked their lives for the safety of our nation. Hospice of the Golden Isles partners with We Honor Veterans to provide comfort and care for veterans at the end of their lives. Call us today at 912.265.4735 to learn more about our veterans’ support services and how you can help veterans in need. |
Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|