In this modern era, veteran service members are still not receiving adequate resources and the healthcare they require, and various countries struggle to provide appropriate physical and mental healthcare services to them. Various researchers are actively seeking better ways to treat the physical and mental health conditions of veterans.
Mental health problems usually include mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder; psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia or substance use disorders; all of these issues need immediate and proper treatment in order to prevent severe consequences.
Regarding the nature of veterans’ health conditions and the scale of the country’s investment in healthcare services, many Veterans’ health experts advocate for evidence-based ways to improve care and services for this vulnerable population.
1. Help Community Providers To Better Serve Veterans:
In recent years, various countries have been trying to make it easier for veterans to get care and services from private-sector providers closer to their residences. Private sectors have all the solutions and provide veterans with more choices and greater access to community-based providers.
Community providers should also be trained in order to fulfill the needs of veterans and to serve them in every way possible.
2. Spread Awareness:
Spreading awareness about veteran healthcare services is the best way to improve their quality of life. Try to announce programs and services to various community leaders and veteran groups and also connect with military leaders to form partnerships that will hopefully direct active military members and veterans to your organization.
3. Educate:
Give proper education to healthcare providers. It starts in the emergency departments or ambulatory facilities where staff is in direct contact with veterans. The education enables the healthcare providers to meet the patient, understand their issues in a better way and begin to coordinate care.
Veterans and military families should meet with a caregiver who knows what to ask and what to look for in order to treat them appropriately and also suggest someone who can help.
4. Recommend Effective Treatments For PTSD:
After experiencing a life-threatening event, like a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault, it is normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have difficulty sleeping.
Research has shown that these symptoms are more common among veterans than other civilians. If these symptoms last more than a few months, it may be post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Veterans that have survived trauma can feel safe in the world and lead happy and productive lives with effective treatment.
The treatments for PTSD usually include different types of psychotherapy and medications. Some studies also show that veterans are more susceptible to suicidality due to severe anxiety and depression issues. That’s why suicide prevention efforts are usually prioritized in mental health treatment settings.
Researchers have evaluated the efficacy of a suicide prevention approach, which involves sending patients who are suicidal brief, non-demanding expressions of care and concern at specified intervals over time which can improve the mental health conditions of veterans to a great extent.
5. Reduce Veteran Stress Through Mindfulness:
Mindfulness is the primary human practice of being fully present, and it is effective in improving resilience, reducing stress, increasing self-awareness, helping with anxiety and depression, and coping more effectively with chronic pain. Practicing mindfulness can help veterans to rewire their brains, making it a tool they can use daily to help improve their life.
6. Deliver Value:
Veterans battle mental health issues, homelessness, and service-related diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder more than their fellow civilians. Therefore the service providers should take the time to know these individuals in a better and more elaborate way.
Veterans battle mental health issues, homelessness, and service-related diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder more than their fellow civilians. Therefore the service providers should take the time to know these individuals in a better and more elaborate way.
7. Be Impactful:
Caring for veterans means one is caring for their families. However, not all veterans want to talk about their experiences, so be respectful of their personal spaces and preferences. Talk to their families if possible. They might be dealing with severe or life-threatening diseases that could prompt painful memories.
If service providers come to know about such health conditions of veterans, recommend them effective treatments and suggest them to experienced health professionals who can cater to their problems in a better way.
Healthcare organizations should also provide required medical care to veterans, which involves medical appointments, assisting them in filing benefits claims with the government, and helping vets with medical, employment, and other general needs. Service providers can also perform various other tasks in order to assist veterans in their daily lives, such as:
- Drive veterans to medical appointments.
- Help veterans in the community who need assistance in various tasks such as running errands, grocery shopping, helping with yard work, or taking care of their pets.
Common Health Conditions Among Veterans:
- Chronic pain: Military training can lead to chronic musculoskeletal diseases, which can cause chronic pain. Veterans of younger ages usually suffer from more body pain than their civilian counterparts.
- Hearing loss: These are the most common ailments among veterans.
- Toxic exposure-related conditions: Such conditions impact veterans whether they have served within their country or abroad, where service members are exposed to radiation, pit smoke, pesticides, and other chemical hazards, including nerve agents.
- Infectious disease: These include risks like tuberculosis and the potentially fatal “black fever.”
- Mental and behavioral health problems: Veterans experience a higher risk for suicide and PTSD than other civilian members.
- Physical health problems: Issues like severe burns, loss of limbs, limited mobility, or traumatic brain injuries are more common among veterans, and they face multiple surgeries and rehabilitation sessions.
The main purpose of veteran healthcare services is to support veterans’ and their families’ well-being and to promote recognition and remembrance of the achievements and sacrifices of those who served in the military or in other similar professions.
The healthcare services for veterans should also fulfill their role by delivering programs such as financial benefits, disability benefits, rehabilitation, pension advocacy, and training support.