Care homes and visiting 'pets'.

Anything that is important regarding a resident is flagged up in their care plan, for example, allergies to food and meds, at staff handover the care plan notes have to be read and marked as read by incoming staff, a phobia would be included as important.

Ellylanes1, I have a phobia of wasps - although they're unlikely to be let loose in a care home, I simply can't sit and relax if there's one in a room. I panic and run.

What worries me is birds, indoors - and people with lung conditions or breathing difficulties - not a good mix. Chickens are incredibly messy too, hardly hygienic

I really detest the incubator/hatching eggs idea (popular in care homes and schools) as the poor little things live for a few days, are taken away - and killed.

Are you living in a care home OP? If you are you can make your wishes known. If you’re not, why be scared of something that may never happen?

Dd has had some very friendly and cuddly chickens, but I wouldn’t have thought they’d be exactly ideal care home visitors - too many sloppy and unpredictable poos.

Plus I’d have thought any phobia would have been made known to staff on admission, wouldn’t it? Same as anything else, e.g. ‘Mum really hates tea with milk, please give her black tea only,’ - which is what they’d have to say for me - God forbid they will ever need to. 🙁

No words 🤦🏼‍♀️

A great deal has been written about the therapeutic power of animals and pets but it doesn't appeal to everyone. Homes are required to have a policy on how pets are introduced into the home which respects the wishes and preferences of all the residents. I have managed many homes where visitors thought it would be nice to bring bouncy Fido in after he has just had a muddy walk and not had a bath for months. We kindly asked them to stay in the garden and view through the windows. Well behaved, clean pets were welcome but for the resident they had come to see.

The NHS care home I volunteer at has visiting 'therapets'. All dogs of various sizes. Patients have their own rooms and dogs only visit those that want to meet them. They'll also go along to the lounge where people might be sitting. The dogs' visits are very popular.

Hello GSM, no I'm not a resident yet, but my mother has been for over 10 years.
I suppose I'm afraid that if communication skills are lost, having been wheeled into a home lounge, there would be no escape.
Thanks ladies for all your replies.
Will have to hope for the best.
Seeing this on TV, I was horrified at the sight of chickens being handed to residents sitting at tables.
Possibly I over reacted.
Thanks again

Do you know Ellen if you lost the power of communication it would probably be through a stroke or Alzheimer’s and very often your personality changes too and what was frightening as a normal thinking person may well change I think your are jumping the gun and worrying about something that may never happen
a ) you may never go into a care home
b) the care home you ‘may’ go to ‘may’ not use petting animals
c) you may have forgotten your phobia

Stop wasting time worrying about something that may never happen and think about TODAY

Tell the care home Mum’s in about your phobia Ellen./ in the extremely unlikely event that you turn up when they have chickens visiting (not the most hygienic choice so very unlikely) there is always an escape - the door!

Please don’t spend time worrying about something that is most unlikely to happen. And remember, if you eat eggs and perhaps chicken - where did they come from?

There was a news item a few years ago up here (North East) about some old bungalows where the residents were almost housebound or with limited mobility. Many never saw or spoke to anyone for days …… then they got chickens!
I can’t remember where from, or who donated them, but the whole identity of the people changed - they spoke to each other (and the chickens) and enjoyed feeding them and even clearing up after them. It really seemed to give some of them a new lease of life.

All pets make a mess to some degree which is why I dont have any.

When my grandson was small we had chickens, he became very attached to one called Copper, she went everywhere in the garden with him he even took her on the slide, he walked around carrying her, one day we found he had brought her into his bedroom along with another one, he is autistic and related well with animals, when Copper died we had a small funeral and planted a copper tree over the grave😶 I found it odd at the time that she had attached herself to him

You really mustn’t le your phobia to make you so anxious about something which might never happen !! My MiL is in a care home, since 2020 they’ve had 1 visit from a donkey, 1 visit from a dog, in both instances they were notified to relatives (us) va email. I don’t think you’ll EVER be in a situation where a bird will be in the same room as you without a prior notification or knowledge. Enjoy the life you have now and don’t allow any worries about what may or may not ever happen to blight the life you have now

I have had a few friends and family with bird phobia. My cousin was brought up on a croft with free range hens and managed to cope and is now in his old age. I think if you were to end up in a care home with birds around, you would manage to cope. I think a way would be found to make sure sure that birds were not allowed anywhere near you. What everyone does not understand is that people experiencing phobias and anxiety are not irrational. What a person knows rationally and what a person still feels are two very different thinks. It is horrible having anxiety and phobias. Finding ways of self soothing can help s bit. Good luck.

From my experience of Care Homes, these visits are normally trumpeted with excitement way before they happen which is when you can ask to stay in your room or have it flagged on your Care Plan so that staff know. I would be the same with spiders if that ever becomes a Therapet. I am shuddering at the thought of it.

Can't imagine chickens being inside care homes unless in a cage. Outside in a coop that residents can see or go outside to visit okay but inside questionable.

For several years, our dog club visited a local residential nursing home. In summer, residents who wanted to be involved, were brought into the garden to watch our short obedience/agility display.
We all went indoors for tea and biscuits. The dogs were introduced, or brought to visit residents who had a fondness for a particular dog. The dogs all behaved impeccably. Sitting quietly to be stroked. Yes, people had choice

4allweknow

Can't imagine chickens being inside care homes unless in a cage. Outside in a coop that residents can see or go outside to visit okay but inside questionable.

Maybe they wear nappies...it is a thing!

I knew a care home that had chickens - outside ofcourse! Tha residents could watch them through the window and those who were able ( and wanted to) could visit them and help to feed them. They gave them names and enjoyed the eggs. It was considered to he therapeutic. Never inside though.

Chickens are such fascinating creatures. They are so characterful but I'm not sure that carting them around care homes is the best chicken keeping.

As you say Ellylanes1, not possible to understand unless you live it. If you speak of it, folk are inclined to offer patronising empty reassurances. It is terrifying to think of being vulnerable and having to share living space with these folk. You have to be able to say NO firmly and as back up, write a living will to lodge with medical/care file

When my DM was in a care home, many years ago, I used to take my 2 dogs when I visited her. One of the dogs was originally hers. She was always pleased to see them, as were most of the other residents. They used to try to get one of the dogs to go to them and they made a big fuss of them. Most of the residents had dogs when they were younger. I remember that there were a couple of ladies who weren't interested in the dogs who weren't interested in them either and so would ignore them.

At my Mum’s care home they had visits from guinea pigs, miniature donkeys and baby alpacas. They had a resident cat. They also had 6 duck eggs and watched them hatch out over a while and then enjoyed the ducklings until they got too big and one of the careworkers took them to her smallholding.