Some combat veterans who have faced death in wartime are able to integrate their experiences into their lives and then become better equipped emotionally to cope with their own deaths. Many other veterans who had their lives traumatically changed suffer from social isolation, substance abuse and anxieties.
Yet for some veterans, the effects of combat may not surface until they are very sick and facing the end of life. Then they may experience anxiety, agitation and vivid memories connected to war experiences.
To honor veteran patients and their families by meeting their unique needs, Pat Lehotsky, CEO of Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., recently announced a comprehensive, veterans' hospice program, Cornerstone SALUTES!
A Cornerstone team of professionals and volunteers has been specially trained in a program designed by national VA expert Deborah Grassman and patterned under VA guidelines.
Pat Ludemann, RN and Regional Team Manager at the Cornerstone Hospice operational center in Winter Haven emphasized that many veterans experience traumatic conditions that are present today, even several decades after participation in hostile engagements on behalf of their nation. Veteran patients have very specialized, individual needs that are not solely based on medical, emotional, physical, social and spiritual issues. Their specialized care plan also identifies and treats any differences that veteran patients experience at the end of life.
"Cornerstone SALUTES! celebrates and observes the service to our nation that our veteran patients have rendered, at home and abroad, while it provides Hospice care unique to military families," Lehotsky said.
The program includes a "pinning ceremony" where a Certificate of Appreciation and a special "Honored Veteran" pin are presented to a veteran patient either by a veteran Cornerstone Hospice staff member or a veteran volunteer.
According to Ms. Lehotsky, "There are two types of heroes in military families, those who serve and those who stay behind keeping the family together," Lehotsky said.
Therefore, honoring the families of veterans is an integral part of the overall effort of Cornerstone SALUTES!
A "Journey of Remembrance" tribute is being planned to honor veteran families. Also as part of the program, veterans' stories and/or legacies are being recorded by trained volunteers to submit to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
This Memorial weekend, a Hospice volunteer for military affairs and Vietnam-era U.S. Army veteran Ernie Ziglar, presented Certificates of Appreciation and the special pins to two Polk county veteran patients.
After presentation, Ziglar stood at attention and saluted retired Korean War U.S. Army veteran Eduardo Conde, 86, of Poinciana and also U.S. Army veteran Gary Irons, age 65, of Polk City during separate ceremonies at their homes.
"This recognition of my Army service has moved me and my family more than I can express with words," Irons said as he was decorated in the presence of his son Loen Irons and daughter Valerie Rhone.
Irons served as a mechanic in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1966.
Polk County is home to 52,833 veterans. National statistics indicate that eighty-five percent of veterans do not receive care through the VA healthcare system and that most veterans die in the communities where they live.
Cornerstone SALUTES! support groups are held in coordination with other veteran support groups as a supplement to overall services. Networking with other veteran services will assist families in working together and joining in the fabric of veteran support throughout the community.
Since 1984, Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., a not-for-profit community-based healthcare organization, has provided care and services to Central Florida residents and to American veterans experiencing life-limiting illnesses.
To learn more, call 863-291-5560 or toll-free 1-800-503-5756 in Polk County.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Cornerstone SALUTES! honoring U.S. veterans
via newschief.com
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