81-Year-Old Pilot Living With Dementia Soars The Skies Again After A Little Help From His Friends!
An aviation enthusiast and care home resident, who once built his own plane, made an exhilarating comeback to the skies with the support of his friends and care team!
Joseph Lloyd, 81, has lived at Castleford Lodge Nursing Home in Wakefield for 15 months. The home is part of the Orchard Care Homes group, which runs 23 homes in the North of England and the Midlands.
Joseph’s history around aircraft and flying goes all the way back to his younger years. When he was a boy, he used to sneak away from his house to visit an airfield near his home in Lancashire with his cousin to look at the planes.
When Joseph got older, his cousin joined the RAF, but Joseph’s father would not let him because he was scared of another potential war breaking out. ‘I went to college to continue my studies in engineering, whilst saving up to take flying lessons.’
He was 18 when he finally learnt how to fly. He saved up all his money and went to Florida to take lessons. Incredibly, It took him just four weeks to become licensed to fly during the day.
When he was diagnosed with dementia, he thought his sky soaring days were over. However, a couple of months ago he was reunited with his pilot friend and Joseph was asked if he would like to co-pilot a local flight over Yorkshire.
Joseph was ecstatic and immediately said yes! The home helped organise the trip out and a couple of days later Joseph was soaring the skies over York Minster and other iconic Yorkshire landmarks.
Joseph said: “I can’t believe I got the chance to fly again. The conditions were absolutely perfect and it felt incredible to be up in the air again!”
Rebecca Fairfax, Deputy Manager at Castleford Lodge, talked about how Joseph’s lifelong passion for aviation plays a huge part in his person-centred care plan.
She said: “We are already planning another flight soon! Seeing Joseph doing what he loves the most was wonderful. When he first joined Castleford Lodge Nursing Home, we loved learning about his interest in engineering. It not only helped us get to him more but it also helped him settle in to his newer surroundings.”
“Living with dementia, we believe it’s important for Joseph to retain the hobbies and passions he loved over the years. He enjoys reading aviation magazines and books, and we’re lucky enough to hear incredible stories about his plane. Reminiscing about his aircraft always puts a huge smile on his face – and ours too!”
