The benefits of animal therapy at Edwardstow Court
Edwardstow Court Care Centre welcomed a variety of animals to showcase the benefits that animal therapy can have
Edwardstow Court hosted an informative afternoon discussing the benefits of animal therapy. The day consisted of an informative talk from Jerry Porter from Riding for the Disabled Gloucestershire (RDA) who talked about the people who use their service and the benefits they get from the horses and the service.
The second presentation was from Therapy Dogs Nationwide who talked about the process of selecting potential therapy dogs and then the training they go through. Therapy dogs often visit people living with disabilities and residents in care homes.
Amongst those who came along to hear the presentations were our resident’s family members, local professionals, volunteers plus members of the local community who are interested in animal therapy.
We also welcomed a variety of animals including - dogs, chinchillas and guinea pigs! Everyone was delighted to see the animals and it was nice to have such a variety from excitable puppies to senior dogs and chilled out guinea pigs.
Gemma Joynes, Activities Co-ordinator said "The whole afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by the residents and visitors alike. It was great to see the community coming together to join us in celebrating the positive effects of animal therapy."
Our visitors had the opportunity to collect support material from the Alzheimer’s society, Cotswold Friends as well as RDA and Therapy Dogs. It was also an opportunity to meet other local families in similar situations or just meet new friends.
After the talks everyone had an opportunity to see the animals again and enjoy a cup of tea and slice of homemade cake.