Near the End of Life, a Bedside Salute Means So Much to Veterans
May 18, 2021
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ByBob Johnson,RN,general manager for VITAS Healthcare inCollier County
As the family of patient Jos Pacheco gathered at his home for a veterans recognition ceremony, the elderly veteran began talking about his service during World War II.
Some ofMr.Pacheco's family members had never heard his stories, including a grandson who had asked to be excused from school that day to be at his grandfathers side.
Everybody knows how few and far between our WWII veterans are, VITAS nurse Nancy explains. "Its almost like youre witnessing something indescribable. You know each veterans time will be short, yet here we are in the presence of an American hero. It makes everyone really emotional.
Driven byduty
VITAS Healthcare, the nations leading provider of end-of-life care, honors veterans every day. Driven by a sense of duty and empowered by veteran-specific care, we help Americas treasured servicemembers navigate their final days, weeks, and months in comfort and dignity.
With over 40 years of experience providing hospice and palliative care to the nations veterans, VITAS has the expertise to guide dying servicemembers toward closure and peace of mind.
Bedside salutes, Veterans Day ceremonies,and individualized care plans that honor veterans unique experiences and needs near the end of life are core components of VITAS hospice care.
VITAS also supports the families of veterans by helping them secure benefits from the Department of
Veterans Affairs, arranging military funerals and burials, and recording the details of their loved ones lives in touching Life Biographies.
Well-deserved honors
To recognizeMr.Pacheco and his family,Nancypresented the veteran with a certificate of appreciation, a pin, and a red-white-and-blue volunteer-crochetedafghan. She read lines from one of her favorite poems, It Is a Soldier.
It is the soldier, not the minister, who has given us freedom of religion...
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press...
It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial...
It is the soldier, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote...
Then she saluted her patient, gave him permission to stand down, and thanked him for his service.
His family kept saying that no one ever honored him the way we did,Nancysays, and that always makes me feel good.
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