At the Elite Assisted Living facility in Cape Coral, Halloween can bring out childlike wonder in every age.
"Really cute, the little princesses. I had daughters, so princesses are my favorite," said Jean, a resident of Elite Assisted Living.
This year, seniors welcomed the spooky spirit, thanks to one mom determined to make the holiday more inclusive.
"I figured, let's make a massive post and see if we could get the little boos to show up because it would happen during school hours," said Cape Coral mom, Cassandra Toledo.
Cassandra posted to Facebook, and within three days, five assisted living facilities in Southwest Florida said, "Count me in."
"We don't interact with small children that much, so it's nice to see the smiles on the other residents' faces and talk to them for a minute," said Susan, a resident of Elite Assisted Living.
Golden year ghouls and gals greeted trick-or-treaters during the day, sparking fond memories of years past.
"After my son was born, when he was old enough to really understand what it was, it was so fun to buy his costumes and take him out trick-or-treating," Susan said.
For Cassandra, this Halloween was healing.
"My grandpa got put into a nursing home," Cassandra said. "The demise of dementia is really tough for us. To imagine that he could have been left alone there. I remember loving him, and all he could do was smile."
This year, human connection was invited to haunt the halls, and there were no tricks, only treats.
"It's nice to know that I'm doing something for people out in the 'real world' out there," Susan said.