Remembering Our Veterans: A "Living History" Video Memoir Program
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Share PrintRemembering Our Veterans is a novel "living history" video memoir program in which VA staff and volunteers, using a list of comprehensive interview questions, engage inpatient, outpatient, and nursing home Veterans in meaningful conversations about their military service and other significant life experiences on camera, resulting in HD video recordings. These recordings are shared with family members and loved ones and can also be used for mass public viewing, VA memorialization efforts, including the NCA’s Veterans Legacy Memorial, and research, academic, and public education efforts, including the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. Clinical applications of the program can include it being utilized as a form of reminiscence therapy for veterans with dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, and as an avenue for health professions students to learn more about the veteran population and how to build rapport and establish a one-on-one connection with a patient.
Origin:
January 2022, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (Aurora Rocky Mountain)
Adoptions:
3 successful, 1 in-progress
Partners:
Care Management and Social Work Services, Geriatrics and Extended Care, Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy, VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement, Veterans Experience Office
Recent Updates
Overview
The problem
Another major challenge that motivated the program was the growing number of older Americans considered “kinless”: without partners or spouses, children, or siblings. Developing a way to document and remember these individuals, when no one else would, became a moral imperative.
Finally, with its national reach, the VA is currently missing a centralized way to digitally record Veterans’ histories, not only for Veterans and their loved ones, but also for academic, historical, public engagement, and VA memorialization purposes. The Remembering Our Veterans video memoir program fills this major gap. See more
The solution
The results
ECHCS’s CDCE office saw an increase in youth volunteers and an eagerness to participate among current volunteers. 15 volunteers (ages 20-78), including 7 young adult students (ages 20-26) in undergraduate, graduate, and medical school, have been fully trained. ECHCS’s CDCE office has been able to recruit 9 new VA volunteers so far because of this program. Additionally, the program is being used in healthcare education by collaborating with ECHCS’s VA Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program, where RN residents will engage in interviews to learn more about the Veteran population and how to build rapport and a one-on-one connection with a Veteran.
Every interview is unique and is often an empowering experience for the Veteran. Through it, we interviewed Martha Baker, a 96-year-old Army nurse who joined the service just 3 years after President Truman desegregated the military; Vicki Herrell, a 101-year-old WWII Veteran who was inspired to join the service after meeting Amelia Earhart; Clyde Antrim, a Korean War Veteran and former POW; Ray Rodriguez, a Gunnery Sergeant and Beirut bombing survivor who discussed the importance of treating gay soldiers like himself with respect.
Concerning VSOs/partner organizations and CDCE staff, this program will hopefully demonstrate a successful collaboration between ECHCS and a major, national VSO in developing a new volunteer initiative that helps Veterans and their families and increases public awareness of military history. In addition, we show how this program can promote greater engagement between the CDCE and clinical departments and can successfully increase civic participation at the VA among younger generations by recruiting college and health professions students as volunteers for this initiative. See more
Diffusion tracker
Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)
Implementation
Departments
- Recreation and creative arts therapy
- Social work
- Geriatrics
- Voluntary Services
Core Resources
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Contact
Comment
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Email rov.echcs@va.gov with questions about this innovation.
About
Original team
Anit Tyagi
Research Assistant
Eva Gergely
ECHCS CDCE Chief
Cari Levy, M.D., Ph.D
Physician
Jack Fletcher
Program Specialist
Jill Schinski
Voluntary Specialist
Tammy Wood
Voluntary Specialist
Shelley Preston
Voluntary Specialist
Selene Valdez
Social Worker
Stephen Bundy
Peer Specialist
Hannah Schara, M.D.
Physician
Geraldine Synnott
Nurse Practitioner
Gregory Schumacher
Biomedical Engineer
This is an amazing way to celebrate and honor Veterans and their stories.