Brookdale Senior Living : and Wish of a Lifetime™ Grant Senior’s Wish to Meet the Blue Angels
August 19, 2014 at 09:24 am EDT
Share
78-Year-Old Brookdale Resident Passionate About Planes
GARY, Ind., August 19, 2014 - It would be hard to find anyone more passionate about aviation than 78-year-old Ida Settle, except maybe her half-sister Isabelle. At one time, Ida wanted to be a pilot and Isabelle worked for an aircraft company as a riveter. Ever since the 1980's they've shared their love of airplanes spending time together at airshows and have always wanted to meet the Blue Angels. So Brookdale and Wish of a Lifetime™ are granting Ida's Wish to attend the Chicago Air Show and spend time with Blue Angels with her 96-year-old sister.
I wonder if they have airplanes in heaven," Ida said while visiting with the pilots. "Are we going or are we staying here?" Her sister, Isabelle pointed to the Blue Angels and responded, "Can we take them with us?"
Ida's love of airplanes began after her mother died, when she was four years old and her father took her every Sunday from their home in Springfield, Ill. to the local airfield to eat lunch in the car and watch the airplanes take off. In high school, she dreamed of being a pilot and wanted to apply to a local flying school, but the school didn't accept women at the time.
While Ida was growing up, Isabelle moved to Chicago to work for Douglas Aircraft Company as a riveter on C-54 Skymaster's, which were used as transport planes during WWII. At 4'10", Isabelle was assigned with the rest of the shorter women to riveting wings and other tight spaces of the aircraft. Being an African-American woman in the workforce at that time might have been a challenge, but Isabelle didn't notice. "Everyone was just concentrating on the war ending," she said. "I wasn't too focused on race at the time."
Ida is a resident of Brookdale Plaza Lake View in Chicago. Ida spent most of her career as a radiology technician for Northwestern. She volunteered at Northwestern's resale shop, Hidden Treasures, while she was employed there. Now retired, she volunteers at least once a week for the Mt. Sinai Resale Shop. Her sister Isabelle lives on her own in Chicago. They are thrilled to be able to meet the Blue Angels at the Chicago Air Show as Ida's Wish of a Lifetime™ is granted!
In 2010, Brookdale 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. Since the partnership's inception, more than 600 Brookdale seniors have had their Wish granted.
For more information about Brookdale and Wish of a Lifetime™ visit www.brookdaleliving.com and www.seniorwish.org.
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is a leading owner and operator of senior living communities throughout the United States. The Company is committed to providing senior living solutions within properties that are designed, purpose-built and operated to provide the highest-quality service, care and living accommodations for residents. Currently Brookdale operates independent living, assisted living, and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers, with nearly 1,150 communities in 46 states and the ability to serve approximately 110 000 residents. Through its ancillary services programs, the Company also offers a range of outpatient therapy, home health, personalized living and hospice services.
Wish of a Lifetime™ fosters respect and appreciation for deserving seniors by fulfilling their life-enriching Wishes. Founded in 2008 by two-time Olympic skier, World Cup gold medalist, entrepreneur, and former NFL football player Jeremy Bloom in living honor of his grandmother, Wish of a Lifetime has made over 900 Wishes come true for seniors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The organization aims to create a positive shift in the way society views and values aging by sharing the stories of its inspiring Wish recipients with those of all generations. After experiencing a wish, 93 percent of Wish recipients stated they felt their quality of life improved and 76 percent said they felt their overall health improved.www.seniorwish.org
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is a premier operator of senior living communities, operating and managing 652 communities in 41 states. The Company operates independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities. It operates through three segments: Assisted Living and Memory Care, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). The Company's Independent Living segment includes owned or leased communities that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire to live in a residential setting that feels like home, without the efforts of ownership. The Company's Assisted Living and Memory Care segment includes owned or leased communities that offer housing and 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living for the Company's residents. The CCRCs segment includes large owned or leased communities that offer a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate a broad spectrum of physical ability and healthcare needs.
BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING INC. 
