It was a heartwarming day for Aviva Valparaiso Resident Richard Farman at the Porter County Regional Airport on Thursday. Farman worked on helicopters as a mechanic with the Air Force and Lockheed Martin, but he had never flown on one before.
“I am very excited,” said Debby Atsas, executive director at Aviva Valparaiso. “It is not very often that we get to work with different facilities to be able to provide these kinds of opportunities for our residents. For him to be able to do a once-in-a-lifetime thing and go up in a helicopter is wonderful.”
Elizabeth “Liz” Summers, memory care director at Aviva Valparaiso, has worked with Farman for two years. She got in touch with Deb Sherman who was Farman’s nurse before working at the Porter County Airport.
“I have gotten pretty close with his wife, and we were talking one day a couple months ago that he used to work on helicopters quite a bit in the Air Force,” said Summers. “He was stationed out in Okinawa, Japan. He used to tell his kids that he's been inside so many helicopters, but he's never flown in one. I know Deb Sherman, so we got to talking one night. She said she knew somebody here flew a helicopter, and everything kind of fell into place.”
Farman was flown by Glen Louis Abbett who owns the Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter.
“I love to give rides,” said Abbett. “I give rides just about any time, but it's even better to give a ride to somebody who is having a tougher time in life than most.”
Abbett flew Farman two times from the airport and over Valparaiso.
“He was just enjoying the flight,” said Abbett. “He was taking it in and looking out of the window the whole time. He smiled the whole ride.”
Despite being in the Air Force, Farman never had an opportunity to ride in a helicopter.
“I was in the Air Force, but I have never had this kind of experience,” said Farman. “We had a good time.”
For Summers, she hopes that this is just one example that seniors can still live a full life.
“I hope this lets families know that just because my residents are aging seniors with memory care issues doesn't limit them from living a full life,” said Summers. “I do hope that the stuff that we're able to do for our residents out of Aviva shows people that there are still options for those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.”
Aviva Valparaiso partners with hospices and home health agencies to try to make residents' dreams come true.
“We really go out of our way to try to provide opportunities for our residents,” said Atsas. “Aviva is not just a place to come; it's a home with a lifestyle that allows the residents to really continue to be part of the community. We want to help enhance their quality of life for whatever time they have left.”
For more information about Aviva Valparaiso, go to avivavalparaiso.com.