A Home from Home at Holmesview

The residents at Holmesview are big animal fans, so as a result members of staff have ensured that this passion is nourished and encouraged and now our home is rather full of cute creatures.

It all started back in Easter when we took on the challenge of nurturing 10 chicken eggs, which the residents cared for round the clock. Consequently, 9 of them hatched into fluffy wee chicks and the residents enjoyed them so much that requests came in thick and fast for more animal friends.

Perhaps the most popular additions to the Holmesview family have been Snowball and Poppy, our resident rabbits. They reside in Rose Cottage, their custom-made rabbit hatch complete with lower and upper levels that members of staff helped to make. And with all this hot weather we’ve been having this summer, the staff and residents decided to invest in two gazebos, to keep our bunnies cool. When the residents aren’t playing with the rabbits, they also enjoy watching the tropical fish in our aquarium.

In addition, we have some regular visitors at Holmesview; our activities co-ordinator has been bringing her cat, Peaches in with her ever since she was a kitten and Jude, hairdresser Frazer’s pet poodle, is also a big hit with the residents.

It is proven that contact with animals is extremely therapeutic, especially for people with dementia. We believe it can significantly improve a resident’s social, emotional and cognitive functioning, as well as promoting a sense of well-being. We at Holmesview, therefore, have also invited a pet therapist to regularly visit with rescued greyhounds, giving the residents yet more companions.