Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Offering Training Programs for Veterans’ End-of-Life Care

January 3, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pushing a wide spread effort to help elderly veterans be as comfortable as possible in their last days. The Education on Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Veterans Project will be available at every VA medical center by the end of 2011. The course is targeted towards doctors, chaplains, social workers, and psychologists and teaches the best methods in dealing with veterans nearing the end of their lives.

A 2008 VA directive entitled veterans to both hospice and palliative care. We Honor Veterans is a collaborative effort between the VA, National Hospice, and Palliative Care Organization focused on dealing with end-of-life issues many veterans face when they do not die in a VA medical center, as most do not.

It has been found that as veterans near the end of their life, conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to resurface. This triggers soldiers' emotional responses and can complicate the treatments the veterans are undergoing for their other health issues. However, when health care providers are made aware of the challenges involved, they can adapt their attitudes and methods to best suit the situation. Hopefully this type of specialized training will help the staff, the veterans, and the veterans' families as our nation's veterans enter this final stage of their lives.