Florida Veteran Health Heroes

Florida Veteran Health Heroes 8 While Fred Taylor served in Vietnam with the First Cavalry Divi- sion (Airmobile), he was engaged in some of the heaviest com- bat in the history of that war. On three separate occasions, he was wounded in battle (three Purple Hearts). The last time Fred was wounded, he was shot through the left foot by a machine gun and right knee by an AK-47 high powered rifle. These were very seri- ous wounds, and Fred was hospitalized for six months. Four of the six months, he was bedfast and hooked up to several machines. Any time he needed anything (wa- ter, bedpan, clothing, etc.), he had to rely on others to take care of him. After he was able to get out of bed in a wheelchair, he had two months of physical therapy and rehabilitation treatments. After being discharged from the hospital, Fred was on a walker, then crutches, and then for years he used a cane to aid him in walking. When Fred became a nursing home administrator, many times over the years patients would say to him, “You have no idea what it is like being dependent on someone else to take care of you” or “You wouldn’t know what it feels like to have to call for the bedpan and then someone to clean you up!” It would catch the patients by surprise when he would tell them that yes, indeed, he did know what that was like. By sharing his personal experiences with patients about being bedfast, it created a bond between them. During Fred’s career, anytime he heard about call lights not being answered timely or that nursing staff members were going to pa- tient’s rooms, turning off the call light, and saying, “I will be right back” and never returning, this irritated him be- cause he experienced the same. Fred has walked-the-walk of his patients and knows how it feels when immediate attention is needed but not giv- en. He has tremendous empathy for the patients under his care, and wants to provide the best care available, and while being the best patient advocate his patients could ever have on their side. Fred Taylor, NHA 2019 Florida Veteran Health Heroes 10