For our nation’s Veterans and their families, there are often unique needs that come up when coping with serious illness. It is important that care for Veterans is focused on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment. A program dedicated to helping provide quality care to Veterans is NHPCO’s We Honor Veterans – a resource that CaringInfo strongly recommends.
We Honor Veterans (WHV) is a program under NHPCO in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs with a simple goal – to honor and care for those who have served when they reach the end of life. Many of our suggested links are to the WHV website.
Some specific needs of Veterans may include:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The United States National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), conducted between February 2001 and April 2003, found that the estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among Vietnam Veterans was 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women.
- Substance Abuse Disorder: Veterans aged 18 to 25 are more likely than older Veterans to have higher rates of substance abuse disorder.
- Sexual Trauma: About 1 in 5 women and 1 in 100 men seen in VA facilities respond “yes” when screened for military sexual trauma.
Free Library of Educational Resources
WHV partner organizations, and anyone caring for a Veteran, is available to access resources on the WHV website. Here are some of the most frequently visited WHV resource pages:
- Visit the WHV partner directory to find a WHV provider near you.
- Learn more about the benefits your loved one can receive from the Department of Veteran Affairs:
- Learn more about enrolling with the VA on VA.gov.
- Visit the WHV grief support webpage to learn more about bereavement services.
- Access the WHV resource library to view educational resources regarding Veterans at the end of life.
- Learn more about getting caregiver support from the VA on VA.gov.
- Find your local VA with VA.gov’s find a location tool.
For more information regarding the We Honor Veterans program, please visit https://www.wehonorveterans.org/. Of interest would be WHV’s lists of activities that hospice and community partners complete to obtain level status. If you are interested in know more, you can contact WHV staff via email at veterans@nhpco.org.
For additional resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs please visit https://www.va.gov/.
