Our residents got up close and personal with some exotic visitors recently.
Our Care Staff organised for ZooLab, a company which runs animal handling workshops, to visit our residents.
Everyone was fascinated by the different creatures shown, which included a corn snake, tarantula, gerbil, a cockroach, a millipede, a giant African snail and a bearded dragon. The residents got to stroke and hold them all whilst learning more about what they eat and their natural habitats.
Our Home Manager, Sheilagh Sweeney, said: "We got in touch with ZooLab because their whole ethos is about making people's lives better and we like to give our residents as much variety as possible at The Porterbrook."
"Animal-assisted therapy is recognised as an occupational therapy by experts as animals bring people together. They also help individuals see things with a different perspective and cope in the most adverse situations."
"Our residents loved touching and holding the animals and were fascinated by all the exotic creatures they were shown. We will definitely be inviting ZooLab back - they were fantastic!"