Veterans Invited to Conference About Benefits Enrollment & Resources on December 3

Veterans in the greater Chattanooga region are invited to attend “We Honor Veterans,” a one-day conference aimed at helping veterans learn more about the resources available to them in the community.  Hospice of Chattanooga is one of several sponsors of the free conference, which will take place Friday, December 3^rd at the Sheraton Read House hotel in downtown Chattanooga.  Registration opens at 8 a.m., with the “We Honor Veterans” conference scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m.

“Veterans are a huge part of Hospice of Chattanooga’s patient population,” explained Clark Taylor, Chief Executive Officer for the hospice provider.   “We meet numerous veterans at the end of life who never claimed their VA benefits and never knew that there was help available to them.  We want to be proactive and start the conversation today so that veterans and their families can take advantage of these community resources long before the end of life.”

For one day, many of those community resources will be under the same roof, giving veterans instant and easy access.  Benefits counselors will be on hand during the conference to meet with veterans and their families one-on-one.  This will give veterans an opportunity to ask any questions they have about claiming benefits and navigating the VA system. 

“That face-to-face interaction is key,” explained Sherry Campbell, a social worker with Hospice of Chattanooga who oversees the agency’s veterans programs.  “To be able to sit down with someone and have them guide you through the process really is priceless.”

The “We Honor Veterans” conference will also feature several breakout sessions led by veterans care experts from all across the country.  Topics include working with veterans who have traumatic brain injury, caring for veterans at the end of life, navigating the Veterans Administration system, and readjusting to life outside the military.  Deborah Grassman, a longtime hospice nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs, will deliver the keynote address titled “Wounded Warriors: Their Last Battle.”    

To register for the “We Honor Veterans” conference, call (423) 892-4289 ext. 13800.  Lunch will be provided for those attending the conference, so registering in advance is appreciated.  For more information about “We Honor Veterans,” visit www.hospiceofchattanooga.org. 

“We Honor Veterans” is presented by the Chattanooga Veterans Coalition, which includes the local division of the Veterans Administration, The Area Agency on Aging and Disability, The Chattanooga Vet Center, Chattanooga Veterans Affairs, The Chattanooga Brain Injury Association, and Hospice of Chattanooga.

For more information about this press release, please contact Rachel Withers at (423) 326-9443.