The recently formed Invacare Long-Term Care Channel (LTCC) Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) has taken the Invacare brand promise of “making life’s experiences possible” to heart in a way that furthers their connection with a key client, TerraNova Homes & Care, a small age care group situated in the North Island of New Zealand.

TerraNova Homes & Care won the Inaugural New Zealand Age Care Association’s Innovation Award for their Wishing Tree initiative. When a resident is admitted to one of the TerraNova family of homes, they are asked to make a wish and hang it on the Wishing Tree. The staff and residents fundraise for these wishes, and one by one, the resident’s wishes are granted. Elderly residents, some in their 90s, have done things like tandem sky diving,  trout fishing, reuniting with family and meeting seven grandchildren for the first time, whale watching and many others.

TerraNova Homes & Care have held a preferred supply agreement with Invacare for many years, so naturally LTCC knew of their Innovation Award. Sharelle Lincoln and Grant Hetherington began to look for opportunities to help fulfill the TerraNova residents’ wishes. One resident, Jimmy, used to go to town on his very old and tried scooter to feed his cat “Sweetie” every day. Jimmy was constantly worried about breaking down and so he wished for a new scooter. Grant and Sharelle surprised TerraNova by donating a scooter for Jimmy. Another resident, Betty, wished to go for a helicopter ride. Sharelle organized her brother to take Betty and a friend for a helicopter ride over Auckland city and the Waitemata Harbour.