Take a helicopter ride.
A long-lost reunion with a family member.
Sharing tea and crumpets with friends at the Townsend Hotel.
Spend the day as a florist designing arrangements and tickets to see the Detroit Red Wings at Little Ceasar's Arena.
Elderly Waltonwood residents are reducing their to-do list with a unique life enrichment program that allows them to reconnect with their passions.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to make our residents' lifelong dreams come true,” said Lindsay Charlefour, director of life enrichment at Waltonwood Senior Living Lakeside Community in Sterling Heights, where several Residents have taken advantage of the program which requires nothing more than a wish and willingness to leave.
For Ann and Dennis Cowie, it was an amazing trip to the Detroit Zoo.
“Ann’s dream of feeding her favorite animal, a giraffe, came true. She even got to go through the sprinklers with our driver, Oliver,” Charlefour said, adding a special thanks to their zoo hosts, La'Rhonda and Rick, who did their best to make sure Ann be amazing.
In each case, all tickets and travel expenses are covered by Waltonwood.
And while some wishes involve a lot of planning and expense, others are as simple as visiting a local landmark as in the case of Jack Accurso, a graduate of the Henry Ford Trade School, which provided young men with an education in industrial arts and crafts (between 1916 and 1952), and whose illustrious career with Ford lasted more than 70 years.
“His wish was to return to his old stomping grounds,” Charlefour said.
So they arranged a personal tour of the old school, now located at the Henry Ford Museum, where he marveled at some of the exhibits while telling his own story for others, followed by a fabulous lunch at the garage Ford.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Brian Essenmacher of Dearborn, whose father Tom Essenmacher resides at Waltonwood University in Rochester Hills. “It breaks up the year and gives residents something to look forward to.”
Brian said Waltonwood has many activities throughout the year, but these adventures are truly special.
His father agreed.
“I can hardly put it into words, I had such a good time,” Tom said of the adventure he shared with his son, which included watching a Red Wings practice Detroit and their game against the Vancouver Canucks at Little Caesars Arena. plus all the snacks he wanted.
“We really enjoyed the game,” said Tom, who has been a hockey fan since he was 10 years old and remembers taking a bus down Michigan Avenue to see the Red Wings play at Olympia Stadium. Then it's off to Joe Louis Arena. What he remembers about this place is all the stairs.
Over the years he has seen some of the sport's greatest players: Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Steve Yzerman, to name a few, and can now say he has seen the game played in the three sites.
“Now I want to see the Tigers and Lions,” Tom thought, having found the courage to venture out of that house, as he did when he was younger.
“At first he wasn't sure he wanted to do it,” said Donna Donakowski, life enrichment manager at Waltonwood University, who hopes Tom's experience will encourage other residents to do it. also a wish.
Each year, Waltonwood grants the wishes of four residents who seek to fulfill their passion for adventure and experiences they might not otherwise have the chance to have. Regardless, from tickets and special arrangements to food and souvenirs, all expenses are covered by the program, which is likely to expand to other senior living communities in the future.
“It’s truly an amazing program,” Donakowski said. “One of our residents is a huge Neil Diamond fan. We're taking him to see the musical in December.
