Fareham care home residents enjoy animal visit

Friendly creatures wriggled and slithered into a local care home to meet residents for a special afternoon of animal therapy.  

Residents at Care UK’s Parker Meadows, on Parker View, were given the chance to handle the different species of snake that were brought in by the team at Wild Science, who provide ethical animal encounters.  

After handling the friendly animals, which included a python snake, a tortoise, a tree frog, a  guinea pig and a tarantula. Residents enjoyed learning about each species, including their habitats, favourite foods and how to look after them.  

Linda, aged 70 who is a resident at Parker Meadows said: “I loved holding the snake and I had to be brave. It was such a weird texture, but I loved it!”

Matthew Smith, General Manager at Parker Meadows, said: “Here at Parker Meadows, we love to provide new and exciting experiences for residents to enjoy. We thought a visit from some unusual and interesting creatures for an afternoon of animal therapy would be fun for everyone – including some nervous team members!  

“The session proved to be a great success, and it was wonderful to see the residents engaged and learning new things about the different species. Animal therapy is hugely beneficial for older people, especially for those living with dementia, as it can help lift a person's mood and encourage social interaction too.  

“We’d like to say a massive thank you to Wild Science for bringing the animals along. It was fantastic to see the smiles on everyone’s faces and we look forward to welcoming more unusual animals and creepy crawlies to Parker Meadows very soon!” 

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Parker Meadows incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential care, nursing care, dementia care and respite care, in addition to independent living bungalows also on site. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.