Flights of Fancy

Can you imagine taking all of the elders in a nursing home and going, by plane, to exotic places?  Many of these individuals have complex medical issues, they are in wheelchairs with limited mobility and their health needs ongoing management.  How can you possibly think that, in the span of a single week, you could fly them to France, to Cuba and to Cape Town?

Yet, with energy and imagination, enthusiasm and dedication, that is the kind of adventure that elders who live in our residential care settings are experiencing.  Our building is filled with not just decorations, but large sets that give you the sense that you are, indeed, in all of these exotic places. You can pose with a tiger and look up at monkeys swinging on vines across the hall. You can “gamble” in a Parisian casino one morning and then take part in a Cuban dance showcase the next afternoon.  A singer can croon tunes in a French café in an afternoon and, just days later, South African drummers and dancers take the stage with lively beats and brilliant colors.

Someone might ask why go to all this effort? Why create this experience for these elderly people, for these nursing home residents? The answer is that we believe, and are committed to the belief, that every elder is entitled to a life that is full, that has purpose and meaning, that is engaging and stimulating.

While we often travel with our elders, on outings and for new experiences, a trip like the one we have taken this week would not be feasible.  In fact, our combination of destinations this year might not be feasible for anyone!  But the joy of our “flight week” is the joy that it brings, the faces alight with laughter and energy and appreciation.

Maybe we can’t take them all to Paris or Cape Town or Cuba. But we can bring that feeling to our elders.  We can watch as they play roulette or poker in the casino, we can sway with them as beautiful music envelops us, we can keep time to the drummers with our clapping hands and tapping feet.

Life is as full as we choose to make it and, for the elders who are entrusted to our care, we seize every opportunity to make days as rich as possible.  There is no age limit on fun, no age limit on joy, no age limit on new experiences.  And no reason not to dream big . . . and make it happen.