Care home residents delighted as lambs come to visit in Somerset

Carole Taylor and Fred Grant with lambs Tulip and Oreo
Carole Taylor and Fred Grant holding lambs Tulip and Oreo during the visit

A group of care home residents in Somerset have been left delighted after a woman who used to work there came back to visit - accompanied with three woolly visitors.

Carole Taylor, who used to work at the Wellington care home as a cleaner, brought three lambs named Cookie, Tulip and Oreo.

The residents at the home live with dementia and carers say that animal visitors can reduce some of the effects of the condition, and help them to relax.

But it is not the first time that Carole has brought lambs in to meet the residents. A few years ago she brought another woolly friend round, called Socks.

Recalling the last visit, she said: "The reason I brought them was because of the joy it brought to residents when I brought in a lamb called Socks a couple of years ago.

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"The residents really enjoyed stroking and watching the lambs walking about.

"It's so rewarding to see the joy in their eyes and face or trigger a memory from seeing the lambs out in fields or from farm life. I'm so glad they enjoyed the lambs and having the opportunity to bottle feed them."

Pat Hill was one of the residents who attended the visit and was able to feed Cookie, Tulip and Oreo.

She said: "I have never done that before, it's an experience I will never forget. This is wonderful"

The visit was set up to offer the residents 'pet therapy', which staff at the care home say is a good way of reducing agitation and anxiety.

Richard Dempslake, from Camelot House and Lodge, said: “Residents loved watching and holding the lambs, and were thrilled to have the chance to feed them.

Nigel Howe holding lamb Tulip

“Because we are in a location with a lot of farms nearby, many residents started talking fondly about memories of growing up on or near farms, or working on a farm.

“Watching the lambs frolic in our garden made everybody smile – they are so cute! And bottle-feeding them was also an experience they really enjoyed.

“The ladies and gents we support at Camelot House and Lodge are living with varying degrees of dementia and we find that suitable animal visitors can help reduce some of the effects of the condition, and bring a lot of enjoyment.

“Pet therapy can help residents be more interactive, as well as reducing agitation, irritability and anxiety.

“The lambs were a real hit with our residents."