Sometimes, it’s the simple things that bring the most pleasure, as was recently the case for 92-year-old Aldora Gaither. A lover of nature and the great outdoors, Gaither’s lifelong wish was to spend the day in a botanical garden, and Brookdale Senior Living and Wish of a Lifetime partnered to make it come true. A resident at the Brookdale assisted living community Clare Bridge at Statesville, Gaither visited McGill’s Rose Garden in Charlotte and spent time enjoying the many varieties of flowers that are in full bloom from May to October.
As she walked through the garden, Gaither said, “This is all unbelievable. I can’t believe all this is for me!”
Gaither has been interested in gardening since before her daughter was born. She used to devote a lot of time and energy making her garden look perfect. Even today when she looks out the window on rides to community outings, Gaither is mesmerized by the colorful flowers that she passes along the way.
Gaither was a nurse at the Notre Dame Hospital in Rhode Island for over 15 years. She dedicated this time to helping other individuals get through their difficulties. She has also been actively involved in her church, participating in numerous charitable events.
In 2010, Brookdale Senior Living and Wish of a Lifetime formed a partnership to provide a helping hand in making some of the dreams of Brookdale’s residents come true. To request a wish, residents fill out a wish application explaining an experience they would like to have fulfilled and how that experience relates to one or more dimensions of Brookdale’s Optimum Life® platform. Optimum Life cultivates whole-person wellness through fulfillment in the six key dimensions: purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual. Residents at Brookdale Senior Living communities nationwide are invited to share and submit their wishes at www.seniorwish.org. Since the partnership’s inception, more than 250 Brookdale seniors have had their wish granted.