Learning About Hospice: Honoring Veterans’ Lives With Compassion and Comradery

Abstract

Hospice care is vital to patients, their caregivers, and loved ones by providing care, comfort, and companionship when facing chronic and/or life limiting disease or illness of a loved one. The impact of these services is vital to quality of end-of-life for the impacted individual and for those who support and love them. A veteran and senior student intern at Salem State University (MA) was charged with the goal of improving pinning ceremonies for veterans at Beacon Hospice. Developments included implementation of Veteran Acknowledgement Cards, bedside honor kits for rapidly declining veterans, and updating literature. Internship objectives were completed despite setbacks related to COVID-19 and remote learning.