Snailed it! Unusual visitors snake into Leatherhead care home

Residents at a care home in Leatherhead received a surprise visit from some unusual guests. 

Care UK’s Liberham Lodge, on Rectory Lane, added a host of interesting animals and insects to its visitors’ book, including a snails, snakes, scorpions, and even millipedes for residents to meet and enjoy an afternoon of animal therapy. 

 

Residents were given a chance to feed and handle the animals, which were brought in by ZooLab, an ethical animal charity that provides animal therapy to promote positive wellbeing. Residents enjoyed learning more about the different creatures, including their personalities, favourite foods and how to look after them. 

Commenting on the afternoon, resident John Underwood, said: “It was an unusual but fun way to spend the morning. For me, it was nice to see animals and insects that originate from countries I have travelled too.”

Jagpal Singh, General Manager at Liberham Lodge, said: “This was certainly an afternoon which will go down in Liberham Lodge’s hiss-tory!

“The residents and team had a great time engaging with the animals and insects. We're continuously looking for new and exciting ways to provide residents with interesting experiences. It was amazing to see residents' faces light up as they interacted with the various animals.

“Animal companionship has been shown to have therapeutic benefits for older individuals, particularly those living with dementia, as it helps lower anxiety, creates relaxing endorphins, and can lessen feelings of loneliness. The residents' reactions really demonstrated how much they enjoyed interacting with the wonderful creatures.

 

“We look forward to welcoming more animals of all shapes and sizes in the future as they certainly bring a lot of joy and comfort to everyone here at Liberham Lodge.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Care UK incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The layout of the home has been configured to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

To find out more about Liberham Lodge, please email Vicky Radmore, Home Admissions Advisor on Victoria.Radmore@careuk.com, call 01372 887982 or visit careuk.com/liberham-lodge.