Gibraltar Nursing Home in Monmouth hosted three very special guests – alpacas named Tilly, Percy and George! Bedrock Alpaca Visits, a business based in the valleys of South Wales, brought the adorable animals to visit the residents of the home (who are lovingly called ‘family members’).
The alpacas were taken to visit the family members, including those who chose to be in their bedrooms. They were able to pet the three alpacas and feed them carrots when interacting with the animals. Gibraltar Nursing Home have had animals visit the family members before – including Poppy the therapy dog who makes regular visits, which was written about in a piece here.
Alpacas are gentle animals who have soft pelts, which makes them great animals for a visit to a care home. They don’t like to be solitary, are quite docile and have soft padded feet so they don’t make too much noise. The lack of noise and their calm nature mean they are great for animal therapy as they don’t make loud noises or have behaviours which could scare someone who is living with a Dementia. Equally, their size and thick pelt mean that people who have dexterity issues (such as those with a Dementia) can gently pet them without worrying.
Steve Jones, the owner of Bedrock Alpaca Visits, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and said that caring for his animals helped his wellbeing during and after treatment so much that he “decided to try to give the same feeling of wellbeing to others”. Steve continued, “I started to visit children’s hospices & care homes; to see the smiles and laughs that the animals visits gave to residents, patients & staff made me so happy & proud to show these beautiful animals.”
Gibraltar’s approach to life recognises the values, beliefs and identity of each person. Each person that may need support is unique and by understanding one’s life history, one’s journey in life, by striving to be a true continuation of home, the team at Gibraltar Nursing Home create a place where everyone feels safe and never alone.
To find out more about the activities that Gibraltar Nursing Home offers, please visit https://www.gibraltarnursinghome.com/activities-in-care/