Dr. William Thomas is a Harvard-trained doctor who lives on a small farm in upstate New York.

A few years ago, he rode his bike to a local nursing home, enjoying the fresh air, the sound of the birds and the smell of the flowers. When he entered the nursing home, he immediately “lost his good vibe” and was overcome with despair by the sterile, institutional environment.

Dr. Thomas talked to Growing Bolder about how his initial mission to convince the owner to give every resident a parakeet and a plant evolved into what is now known throughout the world as the “Eden Alternative.”

Now, 500 nursing homes later, Thomas’s common sense has drastically changed the lives of seniors across the world.