Explainer · October 8, 2026
What a Veteran Advisory Committee does, and why a hospice needs one
Military service follows a person all the way to the end of life. A Veteran Advisory Committee is how a hospice makes sure it is ready for that.
What it is
A Veteran Advisory Committee is a standing group that advises a hospice on how it cares for veterans and their families. It advises; it does not deliver care. Its job is to tell the care team what veterans need and to check whether the hospice is doing it.
Lily Hospice in Troy, Michigan formed one in 2026. It met for the first time on October 7, chaired by VETTED founder Evan Shelline.
Why a hospice needs one
Because nobody asks the first question
Many veterans never mention their service unless someone asks. If the care team does not ask “Did you ever serve?” at the first visit, everything that follows from the answer is missed.
Because service can shape the last months
Some veterans carry a service-connected illness. Some have memories that come back near the end, sometimes for the first time in decades. Some do not want to talk about any of it, and some want to talk about nothing else. A care team that expects this handles it better than one that is surprised by it.
Because families miss benefits they have earned
VA covers hospice care for enrolled veterans who need it. Eligible veterans can be buried in a national cemetery with a headstone or marker and a burial flag, and some surviving spouses qualify for ongoing benefits. Families in the middle of a hard month often do not know any of this, and nobody tells them unless the hospice makes it part of the job.
Because recognition matters
A pinning ceremony, a visit from a fellow veteran, a thank-you said out loud: these are small things that families remember for a long time. Veterans are the right people to say how they should be done.
What the committee works on
As Lily Hospice describes it, its committee:
- Reviews how the hospice asks about military service at the first visit.
- Advises the hospice’s Veteran Rapid Response team.
- Builds ties with VFW and American Legion posts, county veterans service offices and the VA.
- Shapes how veterans are recognized, including pinning ceremonies.
- Reviews the resources families receive about veterans’ end-of-life benefits.
The committee also offers free talks on hospice and veterans’ end-of-life benefits to veterans groups. To ask for one, call Lily Hospice at 248-955-5100.
What families can do now
- Tell every care team that the person served, and roughly when. It changes how they can help.
- Find the discharge papers (DD-214). Most benefits start with that one document. If it is lost, a county veterans service officer can help request a copy.
- Call your county veterans service office. Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties each have one, and their help is free.
- Ask the VA care team about help at home. Long before hospice, VA may pay for a home health aide or respite care. Start with Does the VA pay for home care?
Lily Hospice and VETTED are separate companies. They are affiliated through common ownership by Chris Warburton, VETTED’s co-founder.
Independent and veteran-owned. VETTED is not part of, and does not speak for, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA alone decides eligibility and authorized hours. Information on this site is general and is not a benefit determination.