Decades ago, Bill Gauntt’s father-in-law suggested he go into hospital administration. But the former prisoner of war and Vietnam veteran wasn’t interested in the field.
“Back then I told him I liked flying airplanes too much,” Gauntt said with a laugh.
While home health care wasn’t his second career choice, or even his third, he now helps people with a variety of needs as a caregiver with the Shallowford Road location of BrightStar Care – and he’s good at it.
BrightStar recently recognized Gauntt as one of the company’s top home health caregivers nationwide.
“If we could clone him, we would,” said Amy Collett, who nominated him for the award after his three years of work for the local franchise.
Following Gauntt’s release from a Vietnamese POW camp in 1973, he stayed in the service and eventually went to work as a congressional liaison and an environmental engineer.
Several years ago, he once again felt the itch to try something new. His grandson was friends with the son of local BrightStar co-owners Amy and David Collett and an opportunity to enter the field presented itself, just as his father-in-law had suggested so long ago.
Starting as a transportation shift caregiver who shuttled those who weren’t able to drive, Gauntt quickly proved himself to be an asset.
For Gauntt, the work is just about paying it forward.
“Especially those that went before us, in WWII and the Korean War, we’re now taking care of them. I’m their assistant,” he said.
While Gauntt has tales to tell – “my wife says I’d talk to a fence” – he said he’d rather talk about his patients and listen to their stories.
“It’s about what they’re doing, what is going on in their lives,” he said.