Cambridge care home residents enjoy animal encounter at local farm

Residents from a Cambridge care home had a farm-tastic day out when they visited a local farm filled with friendly faces – including goats, donkeys, lambs, and a turkey named Kevin.

 

The team and residents from Care UK’s Heathlands House, on Bullen Close, visited local farm Knotts of Tempsford, where they were able to meet and feed a host of furry and feathered friends. From cuddling baby goats to admiring curious donkeys, the residents enjoyed a hands-on experience with plenty of smiles and laughter throughout the day.

One cheeky goat even provided extra entertainment by nibbling the label off one of the home’s wheelchairs – much to everyone’s amusement. 

After spending time with the animals, the group rounded off the outing with a classic lunch of scampi and chips, sharing stories and highlights from the day over their meal.

94-year-old Olive Scotchford, resident at Heathlands House, said: “It was a lovely day and the baby goats and lambs on our laps were very sweet.”

Fellow resident Sylvia Cooke, aged 88, said: “I had a lovely day at the petting zoo. Both the animals and weather were very good.”

Razvan Stanbeca, Home Manager at Heathlands House, said: “The trip to the petting zoo was a huge hit with everyone. Spending time with animals has proven therapeutic benefits for older people, especially those living with dementia – and being around baby animals brought lots of smiles and laughter.”

Heathlands House offers full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, the home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, both indoors and out. The layout of the building has been configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge and dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities, and the home has its own cinema room, hair and beauty salon and pub.