Middleton Park Lodge Stages All-Day Party With Petting Zoo To Mark One Year Of Reconnect Dementia Community

Middleton Park Lodge Nursing Home celebrated the first anniversary of its ‘Reconnect’ specialist dementia community with an all-day party, complete with an exotic animal petting zoo.

The care home, based in Leeds, launched its Reconnect community in September 2023 and is now home to 21 residents.

The party saw the exotic creatures from Loulabelle’s Jungle, a well-known and popular local exotic animal petting zoo, become the stars of the show. Owner Louise Steven brought along Sprout the tortoise and Athena the python, along with geckos, other snakes and a tenrec – a mammal that looks like a hedgehog.

The animal visitors proved hugely popular with residents and their loved ones, as they learned all about each animal and how best to handle them.

Bobbie Talbot, 86, who lives at the home, said:
“I grew up in the countryside and I would always play with grass snakes; my mother would always shout for me to put them down! It was fun being able to hold one again as I haven’t had the chance to in many years.”

Another resident, Patricia Burton, 76, added:
“I saw hundreds of geckos that looked like this when I visited Sicily with my family. The kids would always try to catch them but, they were always too fast. I feel very happy to be able to be a part of activities like this, that remind me of memories from my younger years.”

Paulina Drzewiecka, Home Manager at Middleton Park Lodge, said:
“It was such a joy to witness our people come together and light up with excitement. This celebration shows that dementia doesn’t diminish a person’s capacity for joy and connection. Our community does exactly that, it brings people together and focuses on what they can do, not what they can’t. “We’re excited to see our Reconnect community continue to thrive and celebrate many more milestones in the future.