Committed to Veterans
LifeTouch Health recognizes the special opportunity we have to care for the men and women who sacrificed to protect our freedom. With one out of every four dying Americans being a veteran, combined with the critical issues faced by many of those who have served, our organization has developed Committed to Veterans to address these needs in conjunction with their hospice care.
The program is built on four pillars to support the unique needs of those who have served:
Identify needs
Connect with resources
Recognize service
Provide care
Program Specifics
Conduct educational outreach efforts to inform veteran service groups of the program, its availability and its benefits to veterans receiving LifeTouch Health care.
Develop strategic partnerships with government and private agencies to extend our ability to service veterans.
Train frontline staff so they will be equipped to identify and pursue legitimate veteran benefits for our patients with the help of veteran service officers on the county level across our service area.
Educate LifeTouch Health clinical staff to recognize critical veteran issues – such as PTSD, moral injury, survivor’s guilt and reconciliation – and equip them to connect veterans with the appropriate support resources.
Develop a veteran-centric environment in which veterans are afforded the respect and honor due them, including special ceremonies, certificates of appreciation, recognition pins and bedside flags.
Organize, host or participate in opportunities to engage in important military rituals, such as presentation of challenge coins, observance of Veterans Day and Memorial Day, and helping to ensure honor guards and special salute at funerals.
Program Commitments
Promote veteran-centric educational activities.
Increase the organizational capacity of LIfeTouch Health to better serve veterans.
Support the development of strategic partnerships between LifeTouch Health and other local, state and federal veterans service organizations.
Increase access and improve the quality of hospice care for veterans.
Navigating Veterans Care
In addition to providing education and resources, through our Committed to Veterans program, the LifeTouch Health team is trained to communicate effectively and honestly with our veterans, and coordinate transitions across VA and community care settings.
Recognizing and Honoring Veterans
Several times a year, LifeTouch Health hosts ceremonies and events to thank our current veteran patients and remember those patients who have passed. We also recognize each veteran in our care by presenting a flag and personalized certificate to each patient.
Under the guidelines of our Committed to Veterans program, veteran benefit status is reviewed so that we can help secure the compensation or assistance due our veterans and/or survivors for their service.
Vet-to-Vet Cafe
The Vet-to-Vet Cafe is an opportunity for veterans to come together for comradery, sharing military experiences in a group setting where understanding and acceptance is assumed. While the atmosphere is relaxed and largely unstructured, the outcomes are often enriching and even therapeutic. All that is required for a successful café is a group of veterans, a place to gather, a pot of coffee, a plate of cookies, and someone to provide a smidge of direction and a slight nudge to get things rolling.
Setting the Gold Standard
LifeTouch Health is one of only seven organizations, and the only health care provider in Arkansas, to be certified by the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) for nonprofit service to Arkansas’ veteran population. Arkansas Hospice – now LifeTouch Health – was the first hospice in the country to employ a fully accredited veterans claims agent as its veterans service coordinator.
LifeTouch Health, formerly Arkansas Hospice, has also been accepted as a Commemorative Partner by the Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration for demonstrating activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families’ service, valor and sacrifice. As a partner in the program, LifeTouch Health will be conducting veteran-centric events or activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families’ service and sacrifice.
How You Can Help!
Vet to Vet: This program pairs a veteran patient with a veteran volunteer who may have a better understanding of what the patient has experienced. A veteran volunteer may assist with providing companionship to veteran patients by holding conversations, interacting with games and much more. They may also provide a much-needed break to the primary caregiver.
Be an Everyday Advocate: It’s as easy as talking with your family, friends, elected officials and community members about the importance of not only honoring our veterans on special holidays, but also advocating on their behalf to ensure that our veterans acquire all the benefits they deserve.
Donate: As a nonprofit organization, our innovative veteran services would not be possible without charitable support. Help us go above and beyond to bring dignity, comfort and peace to our veterans and their families by giving online. Click the donate button below to designate your gift to our Veteran Services Fund today through the LifeTouch Health Foundation.