In recognition of November being National Hospice Month as well as November 11 being Veterans Day, it is a great time to talk about serving the needs of our veteran population.

According to the US Census Bureau, there are an estimated 22 million veterans living in the United States. Veterans make up one-fourth of all deaths today; that’s 617,000 per year.

Veterans often carry experiences from their service that present unique challenges at end of life. For some veterans, the psychological effects of combat can remain dormant for years, only to re-emerge when they are facing their own mortality. Veterans at end of life often experience anxiety, depression, traumatic grief and PTSD. Veterans can also face higher risk for a variety of diseases including: cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and more.

Facing end of life for many veterans also means the resurfacing of troubling memories – coming to terms with what they did, lived through and saw during combat. Many also have ‘survivors guilt’ about having survived when their buddies did not.

As a veteran-owned company, ViaQuest uniquely understands veterans and what they experience at the end of life. The collective knowledge of our team, many of whom are veterans themselves, enables our veteran patients to forge a deep connection with us. They are not burdened by having to explain their experiences. Our empathy, understanding and related connections make our hospice team and veteran volunteers sensitive to the special needs of veterans as they face end of life.

ViaQuest Hospice offers specialized hospice services for veterans and their families including: relief of the pain and symptoms of chronic illness, comfort, spiritual solace if desired, help with psychosocial needs and education, resources and support for family caregivers.

ViaQuest is also an active part of the We Honor Veterans Program, and works to publicly acknowledge the military service and sacrifices made by veterans and their families during pinning ceremonies.  ViaQuest offers over 50 pinning ceremonies a year in our service areas honoring and thanking them for their service to our nation.

By recognizing the unique needs of veterans living with advanced illness, ViaQuest Hospice is able to guide these men and women toward a more peaceful and enriched end of life experience.

We hope to honor these incredible, brave individuals who served our country by improving their quality of living as they face end of life.