Hatching new friendships at Ipswich care home

Home news

Mar 29, 2016

Residents and colleagues at Prince George House care home have been celebrating Easter by nurturing a clutch of eggs and watching the arrival of ducklings at the home.

The exciting project, provided by Incredible Eggs, saw six ducklings hatch at the home over ten days in the first weeks of March. Residents enjoyed the experience so much that the Prince George House team have decided to build an outside hut so that all six ducks can permanently live at the care home once they are ready to leave their indoor brooding box.

Katherine Foley, home manager at Prince George House, said: “We have all really enjoyed incubating the eggs and watching them hatch. The duckling project has many calming and sensory benefits for residents, particularly those living with dementia, as well as reminiscence for the many residents here who used to keep their own ducks and chickens in the garden.”

In addition to the six ducklings, Prince George House also have two cats called George and Milly and a dog called Scruff. All pets have been voted for by residents using the home’s dot-voting system, as Katherine Foley explains: “We think it is really important to support residents to maintain their independence and take an active role in the day-to-day running of their home, by encouraging them to choose what activities they would like to do, what pets we should get and what we should name them. It’s been a great success.”