Care homes and visiting 'pets'.

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.

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.

No words 🤦🏼‍♀️

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. 🙁

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?

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.

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.