Staff at a Norfolk care home had been working hard to find ways to lift the spirits of their residents during lockdown, and the hatching of chicks did just that.
Residents at King’s Lynn Residential Care Home enjoyed a ‘chick experience’ last week when seven of its own hatched, resulting in hours of cuddles and watching the chicks play.
Staff have said they could not imagine how popular this activity would be, after it stimulated the residents’ memories and prompted the sharing of stories about their pasts.
Their arrival was particularly uplifting for 93-year-old bed-bound Alma Tucker who kept hearing them chirping.
Manager Jodi Collins said: “She was unable to get out of bed to visit them, so the staff took all seven chicks to see her in her room.
“She laughed as the chick all ran up and down her bed and she even had a couple of them sitting on her shoulder. She was so delighted. It was such a lovely moment.”
Both staff and the 34 residents at the King’s Lynn care home are enthralled by their presence, with the chick’s incubator a central point for meeting.
The manager said: “During lockdown our team have been working so hard to find ways to entertain our residents and lift their spirits.
“This activity just seemed so interactive and appropriate for the difficult time that we are all experiencing.
“What I hadn’t envisage was how popular the activity would be.
“We could not have imagined how this activity would stimulate the memories that our residents have. But it really has got them all sharing lovely stories from their pasts.
“They have enjoyed hours of cuddles and have loved watching them play.
“They are now having their coffee mornings sitting around the chick’s incubator and chatting about their younger years rearing their own chicks, keeping hens and the times enjoyed collecting eggs.”
The chicks were provided by East Midland’s Living Eggs.
“I would highly recommend their service to all local care homes,” the manager said.
“A great service that has really enriched our residents’ lives.”
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