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VOL. 2/ISSUE 43
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014
St. Lucie West family opens home to vets
Staff photo by Patrick McCallister Korean War veteran Paul Harris, right, and his wife, Betty, left, enjoy the care they get from medical foster home caregiver Gabrielle Lezeau, center. The two are in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Medical Foster Home program. The program keeps them in a family setting while getting the daily care they need with activities such as dressing.
The home is one of 10 in the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center’s area, covering seven counties Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
patrick.mccallister@yahoo.com
ST. LUCIE WEST — James “Jim” Nuse sits comfortably by the screened-in pool. He cracks endless jokes with Paul Harris. Betty, Harris’ wife, laughs often. Both of the older men have walkers standing next to them. Word is Nuse is notorious about using his walker only when someone is makes him. Nuse is a World War II veteran. Harris a Korean
War veteran. Nuse served in the South Pacific as America closed in on Japan. “Next thing I knew, I was in Tokyo,” he said. “I was in Tokyo for a long time.” He adds, “I’m pretty sure I wasn’t in Korea.” “You weren’t,” Harris said. “I looked around and didn’t see you.” Gabrielle Lezeau watches the three as they tell stories, crack jokes, and laugh. She smiles a lot. The three live in her home. Her husband, Gide “Lou” Lezeau and 22-year-old daughter, help care for the Harrises and Nuse. The day before Veteran Voice met the three was Betty’s birthday. She won’t say which one. But she was happy to talk about the Lezeau family taking the three out for a lobster dinner, followed by a homemade cake. “We’re lucky to be here,” she said. “They do a great job.” The Lezeau household is one of five Department of Veterans Affairs’ Medical Foster Homes in Port St. Lucie. There are 10 in the West Palm Beach VA Medical
Staff photo by Patrick McCallister World War II veteran James ‘Jim’ Nuse, right, sits with Korean War veteran Paul Harris, center, and medical foster home caregiver Gabrielle Lezeau, left. The two veterans are in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Medical Foster Home program. Center’s area. It covers seven counties — St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee. There are 17 veterans living among them. Betty is the only veteran’s spouse in the program locally, but there are others nationally. Emily Flowers-Yahn, medical foster care coordinator at the West Palm VA, said there are two more homes that’ll soon open in St. Lucie County. She’s trying to get more along the Treasure Coast, especially in Martin County. “It’s an alternative to an assisted living facility or nursing home,” she said. “It’s
See FOSTER page 3