Baby Chicks Bring Joy To Bury Care Home Residents

To mark National Pet Month and Easter in April, residents at RMBI Care Co. Home Cornwallis Court, in Bury St Edmunds, recently started a Chick Hatching Programme with Incredible Eggs an ethical provider of high-welfare hatching kits throughout England and Scotland.

Residents at Cornwallis Court, which supports older people with residential care, nursing care and residential dementia support, received two incubators containing 15 eggs, which they had to nurture. Eventually, after much anticipation, they were able to watch the baby chicks hatch from their eggs. The residents were delighted to meet the affectionate animals, who were happy to be petted and stroked.

Taking part in this activity, resident Jan Wright said: “One of the chicks came up really close to me and perched on my chest. It was so enjoyable to spend time with them and it brought back great memories.”

Emma Gibson, Cornwallis Court’s Activities Coordinator, said: “I did a sponsored walk last year, trekking 75 miles over four days around the Isle of Wight and raised £650, which we used to hire two egg hatching sets for our residents.”

The benefits of spending time with animals for older people are immense. Research has shown that having something to pet or touch can result in lower blood pressure, better heart rate and reduced stress. Pets can provide emotional stability during stressful situations, helping to reduce anxiety and depression.

“There was a real buzz around the Home and our residents and staff had so much fun caring for the chicks, watching them hatch and grow. It also prompted stories from residents who had fond memories of keeping chickens when they were growing up,” added Emma.