Wound care at Sheridan VA gives 95-year-old Veteran a second chance
By Jesus Flores, VISN 19 writer & editor
After being told he was dying, Roy Clifton chose Sheridan VA for hospice care. Thanks to expert wound care, he recovered and will reunite with his spouse of 73 years.
He came expecting hospice, not healing
When 95-year-old Air Force Veteran Roy Clifton arrived at Sheridan VA Medical Center in March 2025, he thought he didn’t have much time left.
Clifton served from 1952 to 1956 as a communications specialist.
“I had a choice, 2 years drafted into the Army or 4 years in the Air Force,” he said. “So, I chose the Air Force.”
After his service, Clifton worked as a railroad conductor for 42 years and raised a family in Wyoming.
“I had a bone infection in both feet and could barely walk,” he said. “Then I had a fall that caused a bleed in my brain. That’s when I decided to call it quits and go to hospice.”
Clifton was living in a community nursing home in Thermopolis, Wyoming, and had been seeing a community doctor when he chose hospice. He turned to the Sheridan VA Health Care System because they would cover the costs, and he knew he would be cared for with dignity.
Treatment saved his life
Community doctors had told Clifton he had only 2 options: amputate both legs or let the infections take their course. However, Sheridan VA Wound Care Specialist Marta Ostler wasn’t convinced.
She examined him and ran a Doppler test, using sound waves to check how well his blood was flowing through his arteries and veins.
“He had great blood flow,” she said. “That told me we weren’t dealing with wounds caused by poor blood flow.”
What she found were severe Stage 4 pressure ulcers on both heels.
Stage 4 pressure ulcers are the most serious kind of bedsores. They happen when someone stays in one position too long, and the pressure cuts off blood flow to the skin and tissue.
Over time, the skin breaks down, and the wound can become so deep it exposes muscle, tendon or bone. These kinds of wounds can be painful, hard to heal and can become life-threatening if not treated properly.
Over time, Ostler removed damaged tissue from Clifton’s feet to facilitate healing and coordinated with nurses to keep pressure off his heels. A VA podiatrist removed exposed bone, while nutrition staff provided meals to support his recovery.
Although both feet had exposed bones, and the injuries looked and smelled bad, Clifton’s body was healing. His only job was to rest, eat and let the Sheridan VA Medical Center staff do their work.
Clifton’s condition improved so much, he was taken off hospice care.
“It made me feel great to survive hospice,” he said, smiling. “They’re all great. The staff took good care of me.”
We’re not giving up, you aren’t either
As he healed, Clifton began showing up for meals, talking with staff and spending more time in his wheelchair. He smiled more and asked for updates on his progress.
“One day, we didn’t put a dressing on his left heel, and he asked why,” said Ostler. “I said, because it’s healed. He couldn’t believe it.”
A second chance
Today, Clifton says he is focused on what matters most to him. He’s preparing to move to a local community nursing facility, one where his spouse recently received care. The nursing home is working on a 2-person room for them to share.
“I’m very excited about seeing her,” Clifton said. “We met in college on a blind date and have been together ever since. We raised 2 sons whom we are very proud of. She loves horses, too. We used to raise and race Arabian horses.”
He’s grateful for the care he received and happy he gets to go back to the woman he’s loved for 73 years.
Jesus Flores is a writer and editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force and a Marine Corps Veteran