Supporting those who have served

"They haven't forgotten us. They're showing their gratitude by looking after us." The words of veteran Bill Kennedy who lives at the Rannerdale Veterans' home and hospital and who I had the pleasure of meeting while filming a short form documentary recently. I'd been asked to try and capture the essence and ethos of Rannderdale by interviewing those who live and work at this unique facility and helping them share their stories. Probably like many people, when I heard the words 'veteran's home' I immediately thought of old soldiers, more specifically older men. Yes, they make up some of the people who live and are cared for at Rannerdale, but times are changing and so to the age and needs of veterans not only here in New Zealand but Australia as well.

New Zealand has approximately 31 thousand veterans and of those 20 thousand served after Vietnam. The proportion of younger veterans can only increase with the passing of the World War Two generation. This shift in demographics is matched by changing healthcare needs amongst a younger cohort of veterans. That need may not be residential care, rather community based support and treatment for developing issues such as PTSD, chronic pain and muscular-skeletal disorders.

In my previous life as a journalist for Campbell Live, I produced an Anzac day special focusing on Private Dion Taka, a veteran seriously wounded during peace keeping in Afghanistan. "It's hard to describe," says Pvt Taka. " A 762 armour piercing round had passed through my torso, shattered my pelvis into 10 major pieces, and done a bit of damage to my intestines and nerves."

The majority of Kiwi veterans are now younger New Zealand servicemen and women who have more often than not been involved in peace keeping rather than frontline fighting, but the changing role has not diminished the risk of injury or death.

Rannerdale is one of New Zealand’s two remaining residential care facilities for Veterans. It is a not for profit organisation with the mission of “providing care for the wider veteran community including those who have served in the military and or civilian emergency services as well as their families and dependents,” of the 65 residents at Rannerdale, 20 are in the rest home and 45 are in their long-term care hospital.

The issue for Rannerdale and allied health Care providers is how best to meet the needs of younger veterans and how to involve and educate the wider community about those needs. To quote the Australasian Services Care Network Report, 2015. “Society has a responsibility to honour the service of veterans and help care for them and their families if required. Official support for veterans is far better today than it was in the past, but should still be expressed by the whole community, rather than left to a particular government department or NGO.“

As with all charities raising money is an issue of concern for Rannerdale. The trust is currently building a new 10 bed hospital wing, but needs financial assistance to help pay for the ward fit out once construction is completed. To quote Manager, Steve Shamy, “We would like our Veterans to have good quality beds and furniture as well as access to the best possible health & safety equipment, for the best possible care and outcomes.” A major component of Rannerdale’s fundraising efforts is a social media ‘Pledge Me’ campaign with a target of raising 75 thousand dollars. Hence the need for a video and my own involvement.

But I wonder if there isn’t something more that could be done by corporate New Zealand to help, a blending of needs if you like, for mutual benefit. Don’t be shocked this is a pragmatic solution. With corporates looking to show that they genuinely support, educate and encourage, that they are part of the community on a deeper and more meaningful level than sales and profit, linking that brand need, with a genuinely deserving cause makes sense. A formalised and long term partnership that could truly benefit both parties at a time of increasing pressure on health budgets.“Supporting those who have served their country”, sounds a pretty good cause to me.

In the United States there is an example in the form ACP or American corporate partners. In the U.S. the partnership provides career advice and mentor training for veterans, helping service personnel transition from military to civilian life. In New Zealand and Australia it would need to be tweaked to marry veteran needs here to our own corporate support, that would more likely be in for the form of sponsorship and or funding of specific projects that support veterans.

Veterans and first responders are part of the fabric of this country, we celebrate their service every year on Anzac day. But caring extends beyond a single day of remembrance, beyond poppies and parades, caring is a very intimate thing, just ask Bill Kennedy and the staff at Rannerdale. Caring is about saying we support you not just on Anzac day but every day.