In the past year, retired Space Coast resident Warren Murray has been hospitalized a few times for various issues, a seemingly never-ending stressful ordeal. But there was one consistent bright light after every discharge: the VNA. “Their caregivers were (always) very attentive in listening to all my problems and set up all my meds up with a dispenser and made sure that I understood all that and that my wife also understood all that was involved. And if I had any questions, I asked, and they gave me good answers,” he says.
Warren, who is 80 and has spent 21 years as a jet fighter mechanic and supervisor in the U.S. Air Force, followed by 20 years as a quality control inspector for the Space Shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center, says that while he is still ambulatory, he is not as agile as he once was and, last winter, he required a physical therapist. That’s how he met Rik, a VNA physical therapist, whom he established a wonderful rapport with. “Rik was great. He’s a super library of information and he was more than willing to share that all with me. I couldn’t have asked for anybody better than him, he was top notch. For example, he said not to overdo exercising,” says Warren. “And he went out with me on a couple of walks and evaluated my walking.”
Warren has also experienced internal health issues that have forced him to limit both the amount of liquid he can drink and his salt intake. Initially, it was a challenge for him to find healthy, palatable food to eat, but thankfully, his team of VNA nurses helped him by suggesting tasty cuisine low in sodium. They also supported him in many other ways, including medication management, checking his vitals and offering a lot of positive reinforcement, as did Rik. “They all were very encouraging,” says Warren. “And if there was anything that I needed to change, they were willing to tell me.”
