Local care home residents enjoy animal therapy session with baby goats

Residents at Chilton Meadows Bupa Care Home in Stowmarket recently enjoyed an animal therapy session with 2-week-old pygmy goats.

Provided by Blackwater Alpaca and Pygmy Goats Centre in Braintree, the care home residents spent the afternoon cuddling and playing with goats. The session was planned by the Chilton Meadows care home staff to support the wellbeing of the residents, including those residents with dementia who find the presence of animals calming and mood-boosting.

The goat therapy session was most certainly a success as the residents were besotted with spending quality time with the adorable goats. Resident Spencer Symonds, aged 80, commented: “The goats brightened up my day, I loved it.”

Fellow resident, Sheila Wareing, aged 86, added: “I absolutely adored them. I tried to put one in my pocket, but it wouldn’t quite fit, so I had to give it back!”

For resident Terry Baker, aged 81, the visit from the baby goats had extra significance. He explained: “I used to own two Swedish Toggenburg goats so the visit has brought back so many wonderful memories and made me so happy. I wanted to keep one in my room, but I have a feeling that my cat Freddie might find it just a tad tricky if there was a goat in the way all the time.”

The therapy session was facilitated by Chilton Meadows’ activity team, headed by Emma Gooderham and Stacey Burch, who previously organised a visit from the pygmy goats pre-pandemic. They decided to revive the animal therapy sessions in time for the pygmy goat kidding season.

Stacey Burch, Activities coordinator, commented: “As activity staff, days like these make our jobs so rewarding. The smiles on our residents’ faces were absolutely priceless and I think it’s safe to say that we’ll all remember the session for a long time.”

Amanda Delabruyere, Home Manager at Chilton Meadows, commented: “I don’t think you can ever underestimate the impact animals have within a care home environment. The goats were a real hit with our residents and staff and the memories that were reignited were wonderful. It was a perfect event that was totally inclusive, and we can’t wait for them to return.”

Alongside another planned visit from the pygmy goats in six months’ time, Chilton Meadows will be hosting animal therapy sessions with miniature donkeys and owls in the coming months. What’s more, the care home residents and staff will be incubating and hatching chicks and ducklings this Spring on behalf of local farm, incredible eggs ltd, providing further opportunity for residents to make the most of animal therapy sessions.