Veterans around the globe hold an essential role in protecting their countries. These people served in the military and were urged to leave their families to offer service. Not to mention, these are also the ones who help in protecting a person’s rights and freedom over people who try to bring their country down. Lastly, they’re the ones who help provide or even assist those who are in need.
In many ways, veterans provide various help in a community. Thus, once they are done with their service, some may find adjusting to a new civilian life hard. Many veterans face various challenges in life being in the military, and it doesn’t end even if they have already left after their service. Once veterans start transitioning to civilian life, they could be greeted with various challenges they must overcome.
But, given that they are already veterans, it’s always best to provide the assistance they need during those trying times, especially regarding their health. Thus, if you know someone who just got off from their service or you have a family member who is now a veteran, here are a few tips on how you could help them stay healthy.
Educate Them With The Importance Of Health Insurance
Veterans are the people that need to be provided with proper medical care and assistance. So, they need to learn to be financially literate to help create a great future for their loved ones through insurance.
For veterans, maximizing the medical benefits they have worked for is a huge game-changer because it cuts some money off their finances and allows them to move forward. Veterans are typically given medical attention at VA facilities and hospitals within their systems.
But, even though they are eligible for VA medical benefits, try to educate and ask them to consider enrolling in a veterans health insurance like Medicare to receive care and treatments from non-VA hospitals. If you haven’t heard about this year, consider checking insurance websites like how Assurance explains VA medicare benefits to guide you. Through this, they could get treated, and typically, Medicare could offer more health treatment coverage.
Encourage Them To Have An Active Lifestyle
While veterans are in military service, they are encouraged to be physically fit and healthy. They need to have a strong body and mind. They must be in good shape to serve, protect, and do their duties. Thus, when a veteran suddenly stops from their service, it shouldn’t be a reason for them to stop being active.
Having an active lifestyle even though your term of service is already done is a great way to improve someone’s health. If you could encourage veterans to try low-impact and high-impact exercises, it could help them boost their endorphins and improve their health.
But, not all veterans can do regular exercises like running, jogging, and more, especially if they have been severely injured during their service, like losing a limb, experiencing skin burns, and more. Make sure you research more about activities that are doable for the veteran you’ll be taking care of and consult a medical doctor.
Allow them to increase their daily movement to improve their balance and coordination and strengthen their muscles.
Don’t Forget To Prioritize Their Mental Health
A common thing affecting veterans’ lives after service is their mental health. Often, military men find it difficult to process their emotions and everything going on in their lives when they have been to wars, fights, and more. Possibly, instances like this could take a toll on them and make them develop mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD.
Once a person serves in the military, they could be exposed to not only one but multiple kinds of instances that may cause trauma. It may be in the form of sexual harassment, deployment in a war zone, accidents, and more. Thus, as much as you try to help a veteran have good physical health, see that you don’t neglect the mental and psychological aspects.
For some veterans, it’s beneficial to have a companion dog. But, ensure that the dog has received the proper training to be a companion of a veteran with PTSD. In this way, the dog and the veteran could form a strong positive relationship rather than a negative one. Having a service dog could help them deal with the ghost of their past and help them cope with the stress they are currently in.
Make Sure Their Diet Is Healthy
When a person consumes the right kind of food, it provides their body with the proper nutrients—in this sense, making the body’s immune system stronger to fight against diseases. Thus, don’t forget to prioritize providing a healthy diet to help veterans improve their health even though they are no longer in military service.
Make sure they could consume leafy foods like spinach, cabbage, and more to reduce their chances of becoming obese or developing any cardiovascular diseases. Also, don’t forget to incorporate some fruits like bananas which are high in potassium, which helps in the proper functioning of the muscles, and more.
Lastly, if you have veterans who already have developed sicknesses due to old age, make sure you also check with a nutritionist or a medical professional on what foods they are allowed to consume and which they should prevent. This way, you could provide them with the right food to benefit their state.
Provide Them A Shelter
Not all veterans have a place to stay after rendering their service for a country. In this sense, most become homeless and sleep on the cold streets at night. When faced with times like this, unsheltered veterans could have a hard time because they will still face financial problems, physical health, and even home after showing their patriotism. Not to mention, these problems could take a toll on their mental health too.
Additionally, some veterans don’t have a family to return to receive their care. If they stay on the streets, their physical health could worsen, and it may lead them to death. Thus, finding a place to stay would be challenging once they’re no longer in service.
Some don’t even have enough savings to find low-cost housing to stay in. But, the most challenging part would be if they have suffered physical injuries while in service, making it hard for them to get a job and find a place to stay. Try to find volunteers or collect donations to provide shelter for those veterans who need it.
Final Thoughts
The challenges of every veteran who has survived multiple wars are undeniably tough to understand. Often, they could fall into a deep depression, other mental illnesses, or severe injuries that could make a living normally difficult.
It’s always best to lend an open hand to those veterans in need and ensure they are kept safe and healthy. Thus, ensure that you have read the details stated above to guide you on how you could provide help to veterans for them to stay healthy.
