Wisbech care home residents delighted by visiting donkeys
Staff at Rose Lodge hail animals’ ‘positive therapeutic influence’ on elderly residents
Residents and staff at a care home in Wisbech were cele-bray-ting the arrival of some furry visitors last week.
Everyone at Rose Lodge care home on Walton Road was overjoyed to welcome two donkeys into their tight-knit community on Wednesday July 31.
Six-year-old Milly and her older sister Pixie, aged eight, took the social call in their stride as they roamed around the care home’s garden and visited residents in their communal areas and bedrooms.
General manager Meg Jones said the home arranged the visit because “animals hold such a special place in so many of our residents’ hearts.”
“We wanted to foster this love and be able to support residents,” she said, “especially those who may find it difficult to go out on our minibus.”
Meg explained how the mere presence of the docile animals can help to improve the well-being of people living in the golden years of their lives:
“Today has been wonderful to see the positive therapeutic influence these gentle animals can have on our residents,” she said.
“We have some of our residents living with frailties and dementia who responded really well to being able to pat and stroke both [of] the donkeys.”
Alice, a resident at Rose Lodge, was delighted to meet Millie and Pixie:
“They are such beautiful animals aren’t they?” she said.
The visit made Alice ponder how the mistreatment of donkeys still persists in certain parts of the world.
“They’re so gentle and soft,” she said, “I don’t know how anyone could hurt them.”