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Hospice Supporting Veterans

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William Gast Navy20 years.jpgOne in four hospice patients is a veteran. And when veterans face end of life, their needs are unique to their life experiences – branch of service, military experiences in war or peace time, age and generation.

Gulfside is proud to work with the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Level Four partner of the We Honor Veterans initiative, a program of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization.

At Level Four, the highest level attainable, the team at Gulfside makes an extra effort to provide specialized care to veteran patients and their families. Each veteran patient has the opportunity to have a pinning ceremony, during which a veteran staff member or volunteer presents the patient with an American flag pin and certificate of appreciation as a small token to thank them for their service. Gulfside representatives are also actively involved in honoring the veterans in our community by holding similar pining ceremonies at community events, for special holidays, community service groups and more.

With more than 300 volunteers, there is also a strong emphasis placed on the veteran-to-veteran volunteer program. Veteran volunteers are placed with veteran patients in an effort to promote deeper connection between both volunteers and patients. Volunteers are able to sit with patients to provide breaks for caregivers, allowing them to run errands, go grocery shopping or go to appointments, etc. Volunteers can also assist in basic chores and food preparation, and even just keep patients company and support them emotionally and spiritually.

At Gulfside, we are honored to serve those who have served our country, and encourage community members to join us as well. There are several ways that you can help support the We Honor Veterans program:

  • Become a volunteerand visit with patients, assist in pinning ceremonies and more.
  • Invite a Gulfside representative to speak at your event to help spread the word about the WE Honor Veterans program
  • Host a pinning ceremony for your club, company or organization – our team will take care of the pinning with pins, certificates and refreshments to say thank you to our community’s veterans
  • Make a donation to the We Honor Veterans program online or through a memorial gift. Donations specifically designated to the We Honor Veterans program allow our team to continue providing veteran-focused services to patients.