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The veteran population in the United States exceeds 18.2 million. These veterans served in conflicts around the world. As they continue to age, they deserve quality elder care. The VA helps to ensure patient satisfaction and promotes quality care in numerous, measurable ways.
Veterans in the US have served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or the Persian Gulf War. About 44 percent of the nation’s veterans are aged 65 years or older. The VA provides benefits to these individuals in honor of and gratitude for their military service.
What forms of veteran care does the VA provide?
VA benefits are intended to help elderly veterans take care of themselves and their families. Financial benefits can be used to buy, retain, or modify a home. Veterans can earn a degree and start a career. Most importantly, VA benefits help the aging stay healthy after the military.
The VA addresses older veterans’ health and personal care needs at home or in community-based settings. Home health aides, geriatric care, and telehealth services through the VA give seniors an opportunity to monitor, maintain, and improve their overall health and well-being.
Through VA programs designed to benefit elderly veterans, seniors have options to receive the care they need. Home care, for instance, prevents older adults from having to make regular trips to the doctor or experience extended stays at medical facilities.
Seniors who already receive a VA pension may be eligible for the Aid and Attendance program. This benefit provides disabled or homebound seniors with the financial resources they need to hire a home care professional who helps them perform the activities of daily living.
The VA supports family members who care for aging veterans. Available resources include a six-week online workshop called “Building Better Caregivers,” designed for family caregivers. Veteran respite care is also an option for caregivers who need a break from caregiving.
How does the VA measure patient satisfaction for veteran Care?
The VAs numerous benefits are designed to be helpful in the lives of aging veterans. Patient satisfaction is paramount to the VA. The VA invests in veterans’ experiences, ensuring their life journeys are understood, veterans’ voices are heard, and hospital experiences improve.
Maximizes Veteran Trust
Patient satisfaction starts with mapping out veterans’ journeys. The VA created the Veteran Journey Map to identify important customer steps, crucial life moments as well as positive and negative aspects. The map covers veterans’ life stages, from pre-service to end of life.
For instance, the Veteran Journey Map incorporates moments that matter upon retiring. These include finding additional sources of income, such as the VA Veteran’s Pension and disability compensation. Taking care of oneself can be achieved through VA Health Care, audiology, and specialized care.
The map includes aging as another life stage. Veterans manage their declining health through VA Health Care, geriatric and extended care, and home health care services provided by a caregiver. Adapting to a support network is accomplished with the help of professional caregiver services.
Listens to Veterans’ Voices
In addition to understanding veterans’ life experiences through their perspective, the VA ensures patient satisfaction by gathering and incorporating their feedback. Veterans Signals and Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients are two surveys that the VA sends out to veterans.
Based on the results of these surveys, 89.3 percent of inpatient veterans report that they trust the VA for healthcare services. About 90.4 percent of veterans surveyed in 2023 report that they are satisfied with the care they receive while hospitalized and 90.6 percent feel their care team responds when needed.
Continually Improves Hospital Experiences
About 92 percent of employees working for the Veterans Health Administration receive training in the VAs customer experience training program, Own the Moment. Participants learn to connect emotionally with aging veterans with the goal of delivering a positive customer experience.
VA facilities across the nation implement programs like these to ensure quality care and patient satisfaction. The VA stands committed to improving inpatient veterans’ experiences, from the safety of care to the efficiency of care and expects their patient programs to continually evolve.
How is the level of VA care evaluated?
VA facility performance is regularly assessed to provide metrics on clinical quality and the patient experience. Comparing VA facility performance with community provider performance is one way the VA gauges their level of care for all inpatient and outpatient veterans.
Chicago’s VA facilities outperform community providers in controlling high blood pressure, breast cancer screenings, and smoking and tobacco cessation. Their safety of care is better than community providers in two out of three categories. Veteran-centered care is the same as community care in most categories.
Veterans who receive veteran care deserve high-quality services. The VA remains continually invested in improving their patient satisfaction rates and delivering the standard of care due to those who served the nation.
Choose Assisting Hands for VA Home Care Services
Assisting Hands Home Care is dedicated to providing exceptional care, particularly for seniors and aging veterans within our community. Our locally-based elder care agency offers professional caregivers who deliver reliable in-home services, allowing seniors to stay comfortably in familiar surroundings. For veterans eligible for VA benefits, our services can be utilized to help offset the expenses of veteran home care.
Our caregivers undertake a variety of non-medical tasks aimed at enhancing the lives of those under our care. From assisting with personal hygiene routines such as bathing and grooming to preparing meals, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, and ensuring timely medication reminders, we strive to meet every individual need.
Families of veterans also find tremendous value in our veteran respite care service. Our trained caregivers step in to provide continuous, high-quality care, giving family caregivers a well-deserved break. Veteran respite care expenses can often be covered through VA benefits, providing essential support for those who qualify. At Assisting Hands, we’re honored to serve our veterans and their families with compassion and dedication.
Call us today at (773) 207-3767. We provide VA home health care in Palos Heights, Crest Hill, Lock Port, and the Surrounding areas of Illinois.
