FROMTHEFIRSTdayonthejob,hefeltthestarkcontrast
between the giddy, thriving abundance of life that he
experienced on his farm and the confined,
institutionalizedabsenceoflifethatheencounteredevery
timehewenttowork.Whathesawgnawedathim.The
nursessaidhewouldgetusedtoit,buthecouldn’t,and
hedidn’twanttogoalongwithwhathesaw.Someyears
wouldpassbeforehecouldfullyarticulatewhy,butinhis
bones he recognized that the conditions at Chase
MemorialNursingHomefundamentallycontradictedhis
ideal of self-sufficiency.
Thomasbelievedthatagoodlifewasoneofmaximum
independence.Butthatwaspreciselywhatthepeoplein
thehomeweredenied.Hegottoknowthenursinghome
residents. They had been teachers, shopkeepers,
housewives,and factory workers,just likepeople he’d
knowngrowingup.Hewassuresomethingbettermust
be possible for them. So, acting on little more than
instinct,hedecidedtotrytoputsomelifeintothenursing
homethewaythat hehad done inhisownhome—by
literallyputtinglifeintoit.Ifhecouldintroduceplants,
animals,andchildrenintothelivesoftheresidents—fill
the nursing home with them—what would happen?
HewenttoChase’smanagement.Heproposedthatthey
couldfundhisideabyapplyingforasmallNewYork
State grant that was available for innovations. Roger
Halbert,theadministratorwho’dhiredThomas,likedthe
ideain principle.He washappy totry somethingnew.
Duringtwentyyears atChase,he had ensuredthatthe
facilityhad an excellentreputation,and ithad steadily
expandedtherangeofactivitiesavailabletotheresidents.