The residents at Holy Spirit Casula welcomed some feathery friends into their Home, with the adoption of three beautiful male budgies and a male princess parrot!
“The residents were so excited when we initially welcomed the birds. They were eagerly awaiting the following day – when they were able to name the birds,” says Maria, Lifestyle Coordinator.
“We allowed our residents in the Memory Support Unit to take up this important task, and they were suitably thrilled about it.”
The three budgies were named Simon, Sky and Mr Beak, with the princess parrot named Paulie. The process for naming the birds was to take suggestions from each of residents, and then vote for the most popular names.
The large aviary onsite had been left unused for some time since the Home opened earlier in the year, until the staff decided to adopt some new birds to fill the aviary.
“We waited a while intentionally, to ensure we were able to care for the birds properly and that there were eager residents who also wanted to help care for them and be actively involved,” says Maria.
“With the many benefits of pet therapy in mind, we felt that the birds would be a great addition. We knew that they would provide our residents with a calm and relaxing environment and enhance our residents’ quality of life.”
Research has demonstrated that pet therapy has many benefits for people living in residential aged care settings, including improving mood, reducing behavioural problems, decreasing blood pressure and stress as well as stimulating memory and cognitive functioning.
So far, the feathery friends have been warmly welcomed into the Home and the residents are enjoying hearing the joyful sounds of the birds chirping and singing throughout the day!
Holy Spirit Casula has been created to nurture a sense of community and embrace indoor and outdoor living. Residents can grow their own vegetables and herbs in the kitchen garden located in the courtyard. The Home includes many activities for the residents to engage in including art classes, exercise classes and weekly chapel services to name a few.
November 2, 2021
Residential Aged Care, CHL
When Margaret and Joyce, new residents at Holy Spirit Residential Aged Care Home in Casula, decided to make the move to the brand new Home earlier in the year, they were both a little nervous at first.
February 10, 2021
Residential Aged Care, CHL
In Catholic Healthcare's Residential Aged Care Homes, food is one of the highlights of a resident's day. We offer nutritionally balanced meals and focus on the dining experience for residents including the atmosphere, cutlery and crockery, adequate staff for assistance with meals, food presentation, temperature, texture and taste.
