A purr-fect day for Haywards Heath care home residents

Residents at a care home in Haywards Heath were ‘feline good’ after a very special visit.

Kathleen Barnett, Bob Cue, Dilys Nilsson, and Joyce Legg, who live at Care UK’s Martlet Manor on Butler’s Green Road, have always adored cats.

Kathleen, aged 97, has had cats all her life, with wonderful memories of her first, Clyde, who she could never fur-get! Her room at Martlet Manor is filled with cat ornaments, fluffy toy cats, and cat-printed bedding, making no secret of her favourite animal.

Kathleen remembers her last cat called Clyde before she came to Martlet Manor, and said she never had more than one cat at a time so she could give each one as much attention as possible.

With the team at the care home noticing cat toys and teddies in the residents’ rooms, conversations arose about their lifelong love and wish to spend time with their furry friends once again.

So, the team members got to work and organised a special day trip to the Cat Protection Centre in Haywards Heath with Martlet Manor’s Lifestyle Lead, Lorraine.

Kathleen, Bob, Dilys, and Joyce were all in their element as they stroked and played with the cats. They were full of laughter when a couple of them jumped out of their pens, and they got to see the cats having their lunch.

Kathleen Barnett said: “It was a wonderful day and I wish I could have taken half a dozen cats home with me!”

Joyce Legg added: “The cats pawing on my lap reminded of me of when my cat used to try and type on the keyboard when I was using it, always interested in what I was doing! It brought back lovely memories.”

Dilys spent most of the time with one cat called Garlic who she took an instant like to, and Bob Cue loved getting to know all of the cats.

The residents' experience was made possible thanks to Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which allows residents to suggest ideas for new hobbies they’d like to try, places they’d like to visit or even activities linked to past careers. This encourages residents to lead fulfilling lives – from skiing to a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Sarah Barrett, Home Manager at Martlet Manor, said: “It was wonderful to see the residents so happy and fully engaged during the cats’ visit. Animal therapy offers older people emotional comfort and a genuine source of joy. It also helps encourage social interaction, particularly for those living with dementia, and the sessions are always met with such enthusiasm and positivity.

“The Wishing Tree is all about making sure residents feel listened to and empowered to enjoy new experiences, and this was a great example of that. It was a brilliant day and seeing Kathleen, Bob, Dylis, and Joyce, so content and present in the moment brought joy to everyone involved.

“I’d like to say a special thank you to the brilliant team who showed us around and took their time to explain everything, not rushing our residents, as well as to our activity team for organising such a lovely day!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence, Martlet Manor incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities. The home also has its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and a family guest room.