We Honor Veterans has collaborated with the Veterans Health Administration to engage hospices in delivering quality end of life care for Vietnam-era and combat Veterans and those that have been impacted by trauma.
September 2020 brought the conclusion of the pilot “Trauma-Informed Care for Veterans on Hospice Initiative”. This initiative, which began in April 2020, sought to build on the 2019 Vietnam Veteran initiative in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the care of Veterans on hospice impacted by trauma. This pilot initiative, mandated by Congress, supported efforts to improve access to key resources and services available from the VA such as palliative telemental health services, more uniform and routine Veteran care planning to address trauma-informed care elements (e.g., screening for PTSD and Suicidal Ideation), and using established curricula to improve hospice staff expertise in identifying and addressing the suffering associated with PTSD, Moral Injury, and Suicide Prevention. Below is the final report highlighting feedback and data outcomes from the 230+ community hospice providers and 14 State Hospice Organization and HVP grant awardee participants.
In 2019, We Honor Veterans enlisted the help of a market research team to deepen our understanding and guide end-of-life care for Vietnam Veterans who are seeking hospice and palliative care. By conducting interviews with hospice nurses, caregivers and family members, and Vietnam Veterans entering hospice care, we were able to craft protocols and create a care planning guide for providers.
Below are resources for providers caring for Veterans that have been impacted by trauma:
- 2021 Screening Guide For Veterans
- Trauma Informed Care at End of Life Resource Sheet 2021
- Emotional Support Prior to Death Brief Practice Guide
- PTSD Brief Practice Guide
- WHV + VA Trauma-Informed Care Webinar 6.25.2020 PowerPoint Slides
- WHV + VA Trauma-Informed Care Webinar 6.25.2020 recording
- Trauma-Informed Care Initiative One-Pager
- Caring for Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at the End of Life
Webinars
VA & Alliance Screening and Referral of Veterans on Hospice Webinar, November 2021
WHV & VA Trauma Informed Care Webinar, June 2020
Links to VHA TRAIN Courses *note Continuing Education credits available but you must register first. Click here for our guide to setting up a TRAIN account.
The trainings below were created by VA subject matter experts specifically for training community hospice providers who are caring for Veterans who may be experiencing symptoms of PTSD, Moral Injury, or Suicidal Ideation.
- Community Hospices– Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam Veterans
- Suicide Prevention for Vietnam Veterans
- Community Hospices – Moral Injury in Vietnam Veterans
WHV Webinar Recordings Including Q&A with VA Faculty and PowerPoint Slides for Download
- Community Hospices – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam Veterans
- Suicide Prevention for Vietnam Veterans
- Community Hospices – Moral Injury in Vietnam Veterans
- Supporting Military Veterans with PTSD at the End of Life: Video Illustrations
- Supporting Military Veterans at the End of Life: Video Illustration Training Guides
