Hospices Partnering With Program That Thanks Dying Veterans

Memorial Day greetings to you. Today is the day we remember the men and women who gave their lives while serving this country. So it seems appropriate to highlight an article from the Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, GA, profiling an organization that honors veterans before they die—veterans in hospice care.

The national program, We Honor Veterans, partners with hospices and sends volunteers to thank ailing veterans. The article follows one volunteer, Sam Nelson, on a visit in which he presents the veteran, retired Chief Warrant Officer 3 Troy “Pop” Wakefield, with a framed certificate of service and a lap blanket.

“They are never the same,” said [Sam] Nelson, chairman of the Chattahoochee Valley Veterans Council, of his private ceremonies with veterans. “I have walked in right after the guy went unconscious, I have been there when they looked healthy or when they were just hanging on. I have done them in wheelchairs; I have done them standing up and in bed. It’s never the same, but they all are meaningful.”

“It was wonderful. It was really great,” another veteran, retired Sgt. 1st Class James Billingsley, said of his visit from Nelson. “I thought they forgot me.”

Thank you to all our members of the military, past and present, and to their families. We remember you today and always.

If you’re helping care for an elderly veteran, please browse through these previous veteran-oriented OurParents posts to find tips that may be helpful.

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Leigh Ann Otte is a freelance writer who specializes in health and aging issues. She covers finding and paying for senior care for OurParents. If you have any questions about this post or need help finding senior-care options for a loved one, call 1-866-483-4896 to speak with a care advisor in your area.