Living the high life! Local care home resident completes wish to fly a plane

A 93-year-old care home resident in Edinburgh has completed a wish – and she’s now on a real high.

Elizabeth (Betty) Buckland, a resident at Care UK’s Lauder Lodge, on Wakefield Avenue, took to the skies and had the opportunity to soar 2,000 ft above sea level.

Betty often visited America on holidays during her younger years to stay with her family in Seattle, and her cousin was a pilot who owned his very own aircraft. During these summer holidays, Betty sat alongside her cousin in his Piper PA-28 Cherokee plane – he occasionally even let her take the controls.

The flying session took place as part of the Wishing Tree, an initiative launched by Care UK which allows residents to suggest ideas for new hobbies they’d like to try, places they’d like to visit or even activities linked to past careers. This encourages residents to live fulfilling lives – from skiing to a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

After Betty shared her happy holiday memories with the team and her dream to fly a plane once more, the team wasted no time getting the wish off the ground and soon the day came for the flight. 

After the thrill of being up in the air in a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Betty was over the moon to hear she would be reaching new heights – this time flying in a Cessna aircraft and soaring over Edinburgh at 150mph. 

They arrived at Royal Air Force Kirknewton, in Edinburgh, and after some training on the ground with the pilot, Andrew (Andy) Reid, whose mother-in-law was also a resident at Lauder Lodge, Betty took to the skies for a morning flight. 

Betty said: "It was a wonderful day and we had an amazing view of the Kelpies at Falkirk. Being in a small plane again was thrilling and brought back so many happy memories.”

Anees Riaz, Home Manager at Lauder Lodge, said: “We love to go the extra mile for residents here at Lauder Lodge, and our wishing tree is a fantastic way to understand what’s really important to residents.  

“We are thrilled we could help Betty to reminisce and get the chance to soar high in a plane once again. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved and it was wonderful to see the smile on Betty’s face as she landed after her flight.

“A big thank you to Andy again for helping to make this wish come true. I cannot wait to see what wish we organise next – the sky really is the limit!” 

Lauder Lodge is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has its own café and hair salon, and there is plenty of space, both indoors and out, for relaxation and recreation.

To find out more about Lauder Lodge, please contact Customer Relations Manager, Richard Annan, on 0131 516 4006, or email richard.annan@careuk.com 

For more information about Lauder Lodge, visit careuk.com/lauder-lodge