Stein Hospice Service has announced it is now a Level 5 Partner with We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. The progression to this new level demonstrates a high level of commitment to Veteran-centric care in the community.

We Honor Veterans is a pioneering program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program focuses on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment of our nation’s veterans. Locally, Stein Hospice has been the program’s community partner since 2013.

“We at Stein Hospice have been privileged to know each of the veterans we have served in their final days and we knew that the experience would change us as an agency. What we were not prepared for was the openness and appreciation the Veterans have displayed in sharing their legacies with us,” said Stein Hospice CEO Jan Weske Bucholz.

“These past years we have been humbled in being able to assist veterans of all generations and all military branches, honoring their sacrifices as well as making peace with their past. Each veteran has touched our hearts and taught us lessons for which we are grateful, she said.

By recognizing the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families, Stein Hospice has developed a menu of services specifically geared toward veterans, including:

• Grief, loss and trauma interventions for experiences throughout life, including military service. Specialization in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and PTSD-like symptoms;
• Volunteers who are veterans. Members of its Veterans 4 Veterans team spend time listening, reading and reminiscing with patients about their military experience and other events during their lifetime;
• Military escort ceremony for veterans who die at Stein Hospice Care Center;
• Specialized personal care such as massage, Reiki, guided imagery and other comfort care techniques.
• Provide special recognitions representing branch of military and other to honor the Veteran’s military service;
• Hold an annual memorial service to honor and recognize the deaths of veteran’s comrades;
• Partners with local facilities in providing regular meetings and activities for veterans;
• And participation in state and national initiatives and training focused on quality end-of-life care for veterans and the community providers that serve them.

NHPCO and the Department of Veterans Affairs launched We Honor Veterans in 2010 to address the growing need for Veteran-centered care, especially as Veterans from different eras are aging and need access to Veteran-centric palliative and hospice care. Learn more about the We Honor Veterans program at www.WeHonorVeterans.org. Learn more about the programs and services Stein Hospice offers at www.steinhospice.org.