After serving nine years in the Armed Forces, Joel decided to give back to his fellow Veterans by becoming a We Honor Veterans volunteer with Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care in Dallas-Fort Worth. At a recent Veteran appreciation event, Joel saluted each Veteran patient individually and presented them with certificates of appreciation from the local We Honor Veterans program at Seasons Hospice.
“The looks on the faces of these men and women were priceless. What a sight it was to see Joel salute these Veterans and they salute back,” recalls Jennifer Sobities, Volunteer Coordinator for Seasons Hospice.
According to Jennifer, a Dementia patient who is mostly non-verbal turned to Joel and said, “That is what we need, good guys like you.” This moved a staff member to break down in tears.
A few days after the appreciation celebration, Jennifer was notified that the patients were hugging and kissing their certificates. One patient in particular, who is never emotional (according to the nursing home staff), asked to have the certificate hung on his wall, although he could not see very well. Every day he asks the staff if his certificate is still there and asks for it to be read to him.
A little appreciation goes a long way for our Veteran population, especially those who are aging in place. Have you experienced similar reactions from patients when acknowledging their military service? Tell us in the comments!
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