In the News

Care Dimensions Reaches Highest Level of National Program to Provide Veteran-Centric Hospice Care

Care Dimensions delivers Veteran-centric care to the greater Boston Community

Danvers, MA--Care Dimensions, the largest provider of hospice and palliative care in Massachusetts, is proud to announce it is one of the first programs in Massachusetts to achieve the latest Level 5 Partner with We Honor Veterans (WHV). The program was created by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to increase access to hospice care for veterans and to promote education and best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans. Introduced in 2019, Level 5 is the highest level WHV partners can attain and includes several new required activities and yearly recertification.

Nationwide, Care Dimensions is one of 43 Level 5-certified hospice organizations and is one of three Level 5 hospice organizations in Massachusetts.

“Often times, veterans face unique challenges at end of life that can be complicated by their military service,” says Pat Ahern, Care Dimensions President and CEO. “Care Dimensions is committed to providing the most sensitive, skilled care and support possible to our veterans and for all that they have sacrificed for our country.”

In addition to existing partner requirements, Level 5 partners place a greater emphasis on staff education and caring for Vietnam-era and combat Veterans. Additionally, Level 5 partners take on the role of regional mentor to other WHV partners working to enhance their programs.

In the past year, Care Dimensions instituted many initiatives to advance from a Level 4 to a Level 5 partner level, including providing additional staff and volunteer training on veterans’ issues, and expanding outreach to local veteran-service organizations, particularly to Vietnam-era veterans.

Outreach events in 2019 included a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans” breakfast and pinning ceremony to thank local veterans who served during the Vietnam era and a “We Honor Veterans” Recognition Luncheon to recognize 16 individuals who have helped to make a difference in the lives of veterans in the communities in which Care Dimensions serves. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 300,000 Massachusetts residents have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, with the highest cohort being Vietnam-era veterans. Seventy-two percent of Massachusetts veterans are older than 55.

“Attaining a Level 5 certification reflects our past and future commitment to care for veterans within Greater Boston,” says Sheryl Meehan, Director of Volunteer Services and Chair of the Care Dimensions Veterans Committee. “In 2020, we will expand our relationships with veteran-support organizations and continue to educate our staff and hospice volunteers in best practices for veteran-centric care.”

About Care Dimensions

Care Dimensions is the largest hospice and palliative care provider to adults and children in Massachusetts. As a non-profit, community-based leader in advanced illness care, Care Dimensions provides comprehensive hospice, palliative care, grief support in more than 95 communities in Eastern Massachusetts. Care Dimensions was founded in 1978 as Hospice of the North Shore, and cares for patients wherever they live – in their homes, in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities, in hospitals, or at our two inpatient hospice facilities (the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, and the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers). Additionally, Care Dimensions HomeMD program provides in-home primary care to patients over age 65 in select communities on the North Shore and Greater Boston who have difficulty leaving home. The Care Dimensions Learning Institute educates more than 7000 healthcare professionals and community members each year on advanced illness and end-of-life topics. 

Learn more about the We Honor Veterans program at www.WeHonorVeterans.org and about Care Dimensions at www.caredimensions.org.