Residents at a care home in Reading enjoyed an im-peck-able surprise.
Residents at Care UK’s Parsons Grange, in Shinfield, had an afternoon of making friends with a variety of birds of prey, including a hawk and a variety of barn owls, including a tawny and a great horned.
The friendly and relaxed creatures were brought into the home by Berkshire Birds of Prey, and on the day, an experienced falconer shared their passion for birds of prey and information about the conservation of the impressive creatures, and residents were able to hold the birds.
Commenting on the afternoon, resident Jean said: "My family will never believe that I actually held a barn owl."
Daphne, another resident at Parsons Grange, said: "Never have I ever experienced anything like this."
Rozina Ali, Home Manager at Parsons Grange, said: "We were delighted to get to meet these incredible creatures, the residents had a fantastic day and were able to learn so many new facts.
"Here at Parsons Grange, we want residents to experience a range of activities that are not only exciting but also beneficial for older people.
"Animal therapy has been proven to prompt social interaction, increase physical activity and be calming; this activity was perfect for doing just that.
"We’d like to say a huge thank you to Berkshire Birds of Prey for helping us have such a fun and educational day."
Parsons Grange provides full-time residential, dementia, and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care.
The care home has plenty of space for leisure and hobby activities, as well as its own café, hair salon, bar, and a cinema for residents to enjoy.
Care UK is one of the largest providers of residential care for older people.
As a well-established organisation with over 40 years of experience in caring for older people, they run more than 150 homes offering both residential and nursing care.
For two years running, Care UK has won more major care sector awards than any other large care home provider.
They have more outstanding rated homes than any other organisation.
Their care homes provide an impressive range of services for older people, ranging from short-stay respite care to nursing care, end of life care, plus specialist care and support for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
They have opened 55 new homes since 2013 and expect to open at least 10 more homes between 2025 and 2026 in locations including Yate, Angmering, Wilmslow, Southampton, Saffron Walden, Tring, Birmingham, Stafford, and Copthorne.
