Home takes in feathered residents
Feathered friends have become the latest residents of a Sunderland care home as part of a project to make the facility’s gardens a more interesting and functional place.
Barnes Court has installed a new aviary in its gardens which is now home to three canaries.
It is the latest feature to be introduced as part of an ongoing outdoor development project, which includes a new greenhouse, wild bird feeders, raised planters and additional seating areas.
The ‘Let’s Step Outdoors’ well-being initiative, organised by care operators the Maria Mallaband and Countrywide Care Group, involved sharing best practice on creating successful outdoor spaces in care environments and encouraging homes to develop their gardens based on guidelines produced by Stirling University.
The aim of the Let’s Step Outdoors project was to promote independence and choice for residents by improving the functionality of outdoor spaces in the group’s care homes.
Mandy Mackley, home manager at Barnes Court, said: “We’ve had lots of positive feedback from residents and their families about the new features to the garden. We hope that the improvements we’ve made will encourage residents to spend time outside whenever they like, and to provide practical outdoor activities for them to engage in, either independently or as part of social group activities.”
Spending time within green spaces has been shown to have positive effects on the physical and mental health of all, and especially for the elderly and people living with dementia. Outdoor activity helps to support stress relief and boost mental and emotional well-being.