Unusual visitors hop into East Grinstead care home

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

Care UK’s Mill View, on Sunnyside Close, added a host of interesting animals to its visitors’ book, including a bearded dragon, skunk, and a rabbit for residents to meet and enjoy an afternoon of animal therapy. 

 

Residents were given a chance to feed and handle the animals, with the bearded dragon enjoying resting on residents’ hands, while the friendly skunk enjoyed cuddles with resident Norma Lebihan. 

Everyone also enjoyed learning more about the different creatures, which were brought in by Our Amazing Animal World, including their personalities, favourite foods and how to look after them. 

Rachel Woodward, Home Manager at Mill View, said: “The residents and team had a great time engaging with the animals. We're continuously searching for new and exciting ways to provide residents with a new 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 advantages for older individuals, particularly those 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 Mill View.”

Mill View has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, as well as short-term respite. The home features state of the art facilities including a cinema, café and activity space.

To find out more about Mill View, call Customer Relations Manager, Amy Batchelor, on 01342 887 940, or email amy.batchelor@careuk.com.

For more information about Mill View, please visit careuk.com/mill-view.