Falmouth care home residents enjoy animal therapy visit from mobile zoo
Residents at a Falmouth care home have been getting up close to some decidedly unusual visitors – including lizards, snakes and millipedes – thanks to an animal therapy session run by mobile zoo company ZooLab.
Falmouth Court care home welcomed handler Emily from ZooLab for an interactive session designed to be safe, hands-on and fun for older people, including those living with dementia.
Residents were able to see and touch the creatures while learning interesting facts about each one.
General manager at Falmouth Court, Catalin Danciu, said the visit was a big hit.
“Residents have really enjoyed their unusual visitors,” he said.
“We knew that having the mobile zoo here would be a bit of fun for all our residents, especially as some find it difficult to go on many outings in our minibus.”
Staff at the home say animal therapy sessions like this are about much more than simple entertainment.
Speaking with Animal handler Emily she said this:
"I think it’s just two different types of therapy. Cats and dogs can have an amazing impact – that’s more about sitting there and stroking a soft animal, which of course everyone loves. What we do is a different side of animal therapy.”
“For a lot of residents, it’s about unlocking memories and seeing something completely new. I’ve had 90‑year‑olds tell me, ‘I’ve never in my life seen a snail that big’ – and now they have. It becomes a new memory for them, and they love having photos to show their family.”
“It’s really lovely to see someone who might have dementia, who maybe isn’t making much sense, suddenly light up when they see an animal. It’s like a little switch goes off and they start telling stories from when they were young.”
“We hear everything from ‘my little brother used to chase me round the garden with a spider’ to people who served in the war saying they remember seeing scorpions in Malaysia. The animals spark those conversations.”
“For me, that’s the heart of it – these animals get people talking. There are definitely real benefits.
They can help boost mood, reduce feelings of isolation and gently encourage residents to chat, reminisce and engage with each other.
For people living with dementia, sensory experiences such as touch and interaction with animals can be particularly beneficial.
The visit formed part of Falmouth Court’s ongoing commitment to providing meaningful, enriching activities that support residents’ wellbeing as well as their care needs.
Falmouth Court care home is part of Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers.
The home offers residential and dementia care for its residents, from short respite stays to longer-term placements.