NH Veterans Home Ensures Residents Feel Welcome

Commandant Kimberly MacKay at the entrance of the NH Veterans Home in Tilton. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

By Thomas P. Caldwell

When military veterans find they need a more formal living arrangement due to medical and other personal needs, the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton is often their first choice. The reason is clear: The home, established in 1890 as the Soldier’s Home for Civil War Veterans, offers not just an assortment of care options but also a welcoming setting that includes recreation and travel options.

With a large volunteer base expanding on-site activities and sponsoring trips to sporting and cultural events, the residents are able to pursue their interests to the extent of their physical limitations. There are trips to an apple orchard in October, bowling in the winter, movies at Smitty’s Cinema, and an annual trip to a Red Sox game.

The New Hampshire Veterans Home also preserves the residents’ military traditions, with ceremonies recognizing their achievements in the service and the holidays established in their honor.

“It’s very important to them,” said Public Information Officer Sarah Stanley. “Our Resident Council is made up by members of the veteran residents here, and they participate, from reading proclamations for the governor to opening prayers, to leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. So they’re very much part of our ceremonies.”

The upcoming Veterans Day program is an example of such a ceremony. Governor Kelly Ayotte will be the keynote speaker at the event, taking place on November 11 at 11 a.m., reflecting the date and time of the armistice agreement between the Allied nations and Germany that ended World War I, signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Sarah and NHVH Commandant Kimberly MacKay recalled Ayotte visiting the Veterans Home when she was running to be governor.

“She came in to speak to our veterans,” Sarah said, “and one of the residents was talking to her about how state contracts always have to go with the lowest bidder, ‘and don’t we deserve to have a higher caliber of a food contract?’ So she said, ‘You know, what? If I get to be governor, I’m going to buy you a steak dinner.’ And don’t you know, she came in and she sponsored a steak dinner for all of them, and they had so much fun. I mean, she sat down, she cut veterans’ steak for them, if they needed assistance cutting, and she said, ‘You know, I had so much fun, I want to do this annually.’’’

Sarah Stanley, NHVH Public Information Officer, displays a handmade quilt presented to Robert “Bobby” McKeen, US Army and Korean War Veteran. Volunteers of the Patriot Piecemakers Quilts of Valor group presented the gift of love and warmth to thank him for his service after having been touched by war. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

“They may not all be Republicans, but that didn’t matter,” Kim added. “At the end of the day, they were sitting at the table with the governor and having conversation and really enjoyed it. And her team came. … She’s very, very supportive of the residents and the veterans, and it’s just a really wonderful thing, and they appreciate it.”

There’s a lot that happens inter-generationally, as well, said Sarah.

The home sponsors a Trick or Treat time at Halloween, with children from the community coming in. “The veterans love seeing the little kids, so, depending on weather, we’re all out here and all through the halls, and give out candy,” Kim said. “They get to talk with the kids and the parents, and it really means a lot to them.

“We hosted this year a fishing derby for the Elks. The Elks needed a pond, and so they came and used our pond, and that was wonderful. The residents just love to see the kids. So it’s really, really special.”

Sarah said that even older students like to come to the home. The Southern New Hampshire University Color Guard has come to post the colors during some of the ceremonies.

Kim said there were 152 residents as of late October, with 142 men and 10 women. Most are Vietnam veterans, while six served in World War II and 27 in the Korean Conflict. Others served in other capacities, with the youngest being a Gulf War veteran. Those who served in the Army are the most numerous, with the Navy and Air Force represented with 38 and 28, respectively, along with 12 Marines. There also are Coast Guard and National Guard veterans at the home.

Kim explained the criteria for admission: “We only have veterans here. That can sometimes be a little tough, because married couples want to come, but, honestly, if you look at our stats here, our waiting list is 23 and we have 43 applications in process. So if we added the additional layer of having spouses here, that would be an even bigger wait list. So we focus solely on the veterans themselves.”

David Harris Jr., a US Navy Veteran, utilizes an enhanced vision magnifier in the NH Veterans Home Library to read the love story he wrote. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Those admitted also must need physical care or help with daily living activities, such as reminders to take medications or help with food preparation. Some veterans have memory problems such that it is not safe for them to be at home any longer.

Leo, a member of the Resident Council, had nothing but praise for the facility. “It’s not an institution, it’s home,” he said. “Very welcoming. I mean, I could give you superlatives till you’re sick of them. … I tell people who I meet, who are thinking about coming here, that the issue is not going to be the way you’re going to be treated. The issue is your separation from wherever you are. You’re 80 years old, you’ve been independent all your life. You know you got to make a major decision at the end of your life. That’s what I tell them.”

Moving into the Veterans Home opens up new opportunities for participation with others or working to enhance artistic skills. Tom Gaumont has used his time at the home to experiment with watercolors and other media to create sketches and paintings, one of which hangs on a corridor wall.

Kim said the number of veterans is limited to how many they can provide the quality of care they need. With a general nursing shortage, the Veterans Home is attempting to increase its staff, but it wants to maintain a high ratio of nurses to patients.

“Medicare and the VA require a minimum of 2.5 hours of care for every resident a day,” Kim explained. “Five is a gold standard, and we like to stay in that four-plus range. We don’t ever want to be down in the 2.5-hour range.”

To meet the need for nursing staff, the New Hampshire Veterans Home has started its own LNA training program, teaching students to become licensed nursing assistants. It can boast a 100 percent graduation rate for passing the state nursing exam, having helped 50 students become LNAs. The home also provides advanced training for them to be able to pass some types of medications, giving them a path of advancement in the nursing field.

The range of care offered by the New Hampshire Veterans Home includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietary services, palliative and hospice care, and spiritual care. It has agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs and local hospitals to provide inpatient hospitalization and specialized outpatient care.

Leo Leclerc, a US Air Force Vietnam Veteran, enjoys the comfort of his recliner while sharing thoughts about serving as the New Hampshire Veterans Home Resident Council 2nd Vice Chair. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Even end-of-life care does not stop with a death.

“Veterans here do not pass alone,” Kim said. “We sit bedside, whether that’s the family sitting there, or if the family can’t be here or they need a break, we as staff will sit with them. We have volunteers that will come sit with them. We have a lot of pet therapy dogs that will come with their owners and the dog will sit with them at bedside.”

When people die at nursing homes, a funeral home picks up the body with no fanfare. Kim said, “Here, the residents have said, you’re our comrade. You came in the front door. You’re going to leave out the front door. … When a veteran passes, we do something called the final salute. They hold a ceremony, the residents come together. The family is there, the staff are there. They ring the bell six tolls. They read a little bit about the resident. They pass the mic and let people say things about that resident, and then they say a prayer and taps is played while the veteran is being moved through with the flag on them. And it is just the most incredible thing, if you haven’t seen veterans in their 80s and 90s standing at attention, saluting their comrades. It’s just incredibly moving.”

The home has a history of broadening its facilities and recently broke ground for an addition that will provide 20 new rooms, with the state paying 35 percent of the cost and the federal government paying the remaining 65 percent. It is a project first proposed in 2015 but did not reach the top of project list until 2023.

Kim said it will not add to the home’s residency capacity but is aimed at quality of life.

“We were approved for an addition to change some of our rooms where we have two people sharing, and the neighbor beside them has two people in that room, and all four of them share a bathroom,” she said. “We know that that’s not great quality of life, and we also know that that’s not good infection control. So we were able to go to the top, we got the funding, and so we are, right now, in the process of building a new neighborhood, which will be 20 private rooms with 20 private bathrooms. … So we can take some of those rooms that have two people in them and make it one, so now only two people are sharing a bathroom, versus four.”

Tom Gaumont took up artwork during the pandemic, and he continues to hone his skills after taking up residency at the NH Veterans Home. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Through donations, they were able to install a walking trail to the pond that is accessible by wheelchair, and place gazebos, providing sitting areas for the residents. Some meet with families and have lunch while others just read and sit there quietly. Others walk the perimeter.

The Veterans Home also recently took ownership of a transit van that is wheelchair-accessible, along with a bus capable of carrying 12 people, allowing transportation to doctors’ appointments or field trips.

Inside, there is a “town hall” where entertainment and ceremonies take place, along with Bingo, Tai Chi, and chair yoga. Then, further down the “Main Street”, is a chapel with a full-time pastor, with other people coming in to provide additional religious services. There is a full library with large-print viewer and a “Vet Cave” with computers and stationery — as well as model train based on the Conway Scenic Railroad. To round out the experience, there is an occupational therapy gym, along with a store selling snacks, t-shirts, and other items.

For more information on the New Hampshire Veterans Home and the activities taking place there, see www.nh.gov/veterans or www.facebook.com/nhveteranshome.