New VA Program Assists Survivors Through Loved Ones’ End of Life

“We offer guidance, counseling, resources, and assistance with the application process, and aim to provide a “white-glove” experience for survivors by being what we call a “guiding light on the path of end of life and death at VA,” says Keri Anderson, Survivor Assistance & Memorial Support (SAMS) Social Worker, Program Coordinator at VA Portland Health Care System.

The program was launched following an Office of Inspector General report which identified a lack of oversight with decedent affairs processes that was causing variations in decedent care between VA facilities across the county.  

Survivors reported being told different things depending upon whom they spoke, or not knowing about military honors and death benefits. Survivors also reported feeling lost, in the dark and were referred to extensions involving endless hold times, only to not be fully informed of the next steps, their benefits or correct processes. Many didn’t have a point of contact to call, or didn’t know who could check on the status of their applications.

“This was not Veteran-centric, nor was it at all good customer service,” Anderson said. “To our survivors it felt like once the Veteran died the VA gave up on them and they were on their own.”

Then came the bombshell.

In early 2019, news reports highlighted a group of Veterans—28 to be exact, whose unclaimed cremated remains were discovered in a mortuary in Roseburg, Oregon. An investigation uncovered a lack of standardization and oversight regarding unclaimed remains, and survivors came forward with stories of their own about the confusion and bureaucracy they faced leading up to and following the death of their loved ones.

The Veterans’ remains were later interred at Willamette National Cemetery with full military honors.

A decision was soon made by the VA to move decedent affairs under Social Work Service and create a program at VA which would ensure this never happened again. VA Portland Health Care System was an early adopter site of the SAMS program, and has two dedicated full-time employees who provide a standardized, personal, hands-on support to Veterans and their survivors. 

Another key component to come out of the discovery of the abandoned Veteran remains—SAMS also ensures a dignified burial for Veterans without identified next of kin.

Anderson, who recently achieved her Advance Grief Counseling Specialist Certification, is also the Chairperson of the National SAMS Leadership Council’s Clinical Committee said the program also has a mission to claim any Veterans who might not have anyone who can take responsibility for their remains, and ensures they are laid to rest with military honors at Willamette National Cemetery.

SAMS regularly participates in these Willamette National Cemetery Unaccompanied Veterans Services and pays tribute to unclaimed Veterans who are interred there. In 2024, there were 8 unclaimed Veterans who were honored, and in 2025, there were 3. Willamette National Cemetery staff read the Veterans’ names and ring a bell for each one during the ceremony.

While the VA offers qualified Veterans a host of benefits such as medical and dental care, housing assistance via VA loans, mental health care, and a long list of other offerings, paying for the care and transportation of Veterans’ remains is not covered.

“We want folks to feel informed, supported, guided, reassured and safe with us,” Anderson said. “Many Veterans and families think that the VA will “take care of things” when they die. Our goal is to inform Veterans and their survivors that while the VA offers many benefits they still need to make arrangements and pre-pay for services.”

Working closely with Kristina Taylor, Decedent Affairs Program Officer for VA Portland Health Care System, Anderson and her team try to have a live person at the other end of the phone for loved ones seeking guidance on what to do before, and after their loved ones’ death.

“It is an honor for me to help the families of Veterans we serve, and to reassure them they aren’t forgotten about or left behind,” Taylor says.

Taylor also said she has noticed a change in tone of the loved ones seeking guidance and answers regarding their loved ones’ funeral plans. Specifically, there are fewer frustrated voices on the other end of the phone, and a lot of people are seeking information well ahead of the death of their loved ones—something Taylor thinks is a result of awareness about the SAMS program and the benefits afforded to Veterans’ families.

But the educational impact goes both ways. VA employees now understand not just how the VA assists families of Veterans who are preparing for their passing, but also which experts within the VA can assist if needed.

“Everyone—including VA staff, is able to offer clear and correct information, or know where to refer families for additional guidance in end of life and after death needs,” she said.

Taylor, whose previous position at Willamette National Cemetery, and extensive experience in body donation, morgue care and death certificate amendments, is also licensed as a funeral director. She helps guide family members through the logistics of their loved ones’ death, and advocate for changes to death certificates that could mean big implications for the benefits survivors receive.

One such example of the teams’ expertise coming to bear to help survivors is when Taylor assisted a survivor with the status of their applications. Both Taylor and Anderson worked closely with enrollment to change demographics so that the rest of the VA would talk to this spouse and she could get benefits and information.

“Without Kristina and I able to bookend this situation, this person likely would have spent months waiting for a VSO appointment or would have given up on trying to claim benefits,” Anderson said. “Sometimes folks need a person on the other end of the phone willing to listen, guide and support, and that person needs to know that if they need other assistance they know who to call.”

In addition to assisting survivors with logistics and documents, outreach to Volunteer Service Organizations (VSOs), navigating complicated rules around Social Security and expert inside knowledge of a large bureaucratic organization such as the VA, the SAMS Team also organizes a clinical grief and loss group.

“For example, while Kristina was able to assist with the status of a survivor’s applications, I was able to help walk her through feelings around her grief and the processes she had to endure that were overwhelming,” Anderson said. “Survivor assistance is about walking beside them in those first difficult days — helping with practical needs, connecting them to resources, and making sure they’re not alone.”

But Anderson adds that memorial support goes even further.

“It’s about honoring their loved one’s life, creating spaces for remembrance, and helping families find comfort in shared stories,” she adds. “We provide guidance, compassion, and a steady hand, so survivors can focus on healing while we help carry some of the weight. In short — we’re here to make sure no one has to navigate grief alone.”

The Survivor Assistance & Memorial Support (SAMS) program is made up of Decedent Affairs Program Officer Kristina Taylor, and SAMS Program Coordinator and Clinical Social Worker, Keri Anderson. To find out more information about the program, or to inquire about survivor benefits, call and x31344 or send an email to: VHAPOR-DecedentAffairs@va.gov.

If you would like to attend the Willamette National Cemetery’s Unaccompanied Veterans Service, which takes place each month on the fourth Thursday, excluding holidays or closures due to inclement weather, visit the cemetery’s daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/dailyburialschedule/. You can also sign up for regular email updates at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVANCA/subscriber/new.

Special thanks to Keri Anderson and Kristina Taylor, who both contributed greatly to this article.