Wexford nursing home residents delight in owl and alpaca visits
The residents of Oakfield nursing home in Courtown, Co. Wexford, could find any number of exotic animals wandering the halls of their residence, including owls and alpacas.
The nursing home's activities co-ordinator, Sinéad Meegan, is a big fan of animal therapy and said that the reaction of the 91 residents to the owls and alpaca visit was 'absolutely phenomenal.'
Meegan said: "They love any type of pet and many of them are from farming backgrounds and the visits bring back memories for them.
"We have rabbits and fish in the nursing home, and the odd person would bring in a dog and we might have a cat come in."
"Alice Farrell, who is a carer here, is a sheep farmer and she has brought in three-week-old lambs and some of the residents bottle fed them," Meegan said.
"I'm in my current role 12 months and we have had the owls in three times. Local man, Colin Travers from Gorey, brings them in and the response has been fantastic."
Meegan booked the alpacas, which come from Joe Phelan's K2Alpacas farm in Newtownmountkenndy, after she saw them on TikTok.
"They are gorgeous. They are toilet-trained and they smell of popcorn and are softer than cotton-wool. They can go up the stairs and in the lift. Everyone thought I was mad to bring them in but nobody was afraid of them.
"The residents were very curious about the alpacas and the alpacas were inquisitive about the residents," Meegan said.
"They are well used to being around people. Joe gave a talk on alpacas to the residents beforehand and everyone enjoyed the interaction. Some residents' families came in for the occasion."
Oakfield nursing home, which is part of the Curam Care Homes group, also adopted two seals from the seal centre in Courtown.
Next up for the residents is a talk by members of north Wexford SPCA, who will show the residents some of the dogs currently available for adoption.
"Pet therapy has brought such joy and comfort to our home," Meegan said.
"Introducing six different types of pets, we've seen first-hand the incredible impact they have on our residents.
"The presence of animals creates a calming atmosphere, sparks memories and encourages gentle interaction and conversation whether it's the wag of a tail, the soft purring of a cat or simply watching the animals play, the residents absolutely adore them.
"It's truly heart-warming to see the smiles, hear the laughter and see the sense of connection that pet therapy brings every time these visits take place."
