Mellish meet pygmy goats and chicks

The residents at Mellish House in Sudbury were visited by Pigmy Goats and baby chicks last week.To ensure the residents at Mellish House are involved in the day to day events, regular resident meetings are held where they are able to discuss a number of topics including food choices, activities and days out.Activities Coordinator Glenda organised the day with the pygmy goats and chicks. Glenda said it gave her great pleasure to be able to make this happen as the residents were keen to have visiting animals to Mellish House.

Animals by their very nature are non-judgemental, which makes them perfect companions for people affected by dementia. They don’t question behaviour or get frustrated, and provide a fantastic source of social support and unconditional love which can ease agitation.

The goats and chicks were a massive success, the owners took them to meet each resident, even those who remained in their bedroom. Each resident had a chance to interact with the goats and chicks through holding, cuddling, stroking and chatting – these are all useful experiences that can help to keep someone with dementia engaged and happy.Not only did they have fun with them, but they provided a great topic for conversation, as they learnt about the animals, where they live and how they are looked after, and also about the type of goat and chick they were. The residents enjoyed talking about the personalities of each bird and animal they were holding later on, and what they like the most about the day.[gallery link="file" ids="21148,21151,21150,21149,21147,21146"]

We will definitely be inviting more animals into Mellish House soon.

Mellish House provides specialist dementia care in a purpose built environment for up to 48 elderly people in Sudbury.If you would like to find out more about life at Mellish House and the care we offer, or to request a meeting with our Home Manager, please contact us on 0808 223 5523 or [email protected]