For the last year my veteran has
been seeing his counselor and psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP) every other
week. They have gotten to know him, his case, and our family very
well. They have been his greatest assets and allies within the VA.
They have gone above and beyond their job description. On multiple
occasions they have seen him after hours because they noticed he was in need of
help.
My veteran had a rough time with
another clinic and twice he came out of those appointments so upset he broke
down crying. By an act of God, his counselor was leaving for the evening
at the same time. He stopped to check on my veteran and took him back to
talk. He would not let my veteran leave until he was feeling
better.
These two have also been
advocates for my veteran when he was having difficulty with another
clinic. They’ve done their best to get him the care he needed not only
for mental health, but also his pain. His NP has put in multiple consults
for him, walked down to other clinics to get what he needed, talked to other
clinics about his case, found us helpful information regarding VA resources,
and has been extremely patient and innovative regarding medications for his
sleep and mood problems.
His counselor “gets him” and
conducted therapy in a way that really resonated with my veteran like no other
counselor has done before. He has encouraged him to follow his passions,
learn to accept his disabilities and embrace them, and taught him ways to
manage his anxiety. My veteran could not have been in better hands.
They have not only genuinely
cared for my veteran, but have helped him remarkably with his depression and
anxiety. Before these two were part of our care team, my veteran was the
lowest he had ever been. He was thinking of how he wished he would die,
that his family would be better off without him, that he was worthless.
His counselor and NP worked with him to get through this and he is now feeling
less depressed and no longer has these thoughts.
They not only help my veteran,
but also our family. With less depression came more family time, more
emotional closeness, and a happier home overall. Not only is my veteran
eternally grateful for these two, but I as his caregiver am as well. I
never felt like they were working against me or ignored me. They saw me
as part of his care team and included me as such. They were willing to
talk with me regarding my veteran’s care, often personally returning phone
calls. They were easy to get a hold of and always kind. It meant
the world to us to have them on our side.
To learn more about the State of Heroes and Families
project, please visit our main site or visit any of the following direct
project links -
Why This Started:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-why.html
The Statistics:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-statistics.html
Our Stories:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-stories.html
What We Hope For: www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-hopes.html
FAQ About the Project: www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-faq.html
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