Creatures great and small visit Quorn care home

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Jul 12, 2021

Residents at a care home in Quorn received a surprise visit from four-legged friends.

The team at Care UK’s Lonsdale Mews, on Farley Way, were joined by a menagerie of animals for a day of fun pet therapy.

Residents were visited by a host of interesting animals, including Buddy the canary, Blondie the horse, a chinchilla, a guinea pig and a tortoise – as well as two PAT-trained (Pets As Therapy) friendly Shih Tzus, Tally and Theo.

Residents were all given a chance to feed and handle each of the animals, as well as going out to the garden to meet Blondie the horse and sharing a sofa with very well-trained Shih Tzus. To keep up the animal theme, the weekend was rounded off with a cinema showing of the Lion King, complete with ice cream.

Marilyn, a resident at Lonsdale Mews, said: “It was so nice to have so many different animals to come and see us, it made my day. Buddy the canary was my favourite, I have always wanted one.”

Home Manager at Lonsdale Mews, Toby Sturgess, said: “Interacting with furry friends has significant benefits, especially for older people and those living with dementia, as being close to animals can help lift a person’s mood and stimulate social interaction.

“We are always looking to plan interesting and exciting activities for residents, and many of them have a keen interest in nature and wildlife. We’re very grateful to everybody who helped arranging the animal visit.

“It proved to be a real success, and you could see from residents’ reactions just how engaged they were by the chance to get so close to such a variety of animals – it was fantastic to see the smiles on everyone’s face.”

Lonsdale Mews offers full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite. The home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.

To find out more about Lonsdale Mews, please call Customer Relations Manager, Jenny Cartwright, on 01509 801 587, or email jenny.cartwright@careuk.com

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/lonsdale-mews