Hens helping care home tackle loneliness and mental illness

Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed, cabinet member for adult care, with one of the hens at Cleggsworth House Care Home

Care homes in the borough of Rochdale are helping to combat loneliness and depression amongst its residents – thanks to five pet hens which live on site.

Cleggsworth House Care Home in Littleborough is one of the homes that have acquired the animals as part of the Social Hen Homes project, funded by local health and council chiefs, which aims to improve the wellbeing and social interaction of older people.

And the initiative has already been a success with residents coming up with names for the hens, feeding and caring for them and helping to collect freshly laid eggs each morning.

The innovative scheme helps residents living with dementia to recall memories, as hens were a big part of many people’s lives during World War Two when many families kept them.

A number of other care homes across the borough are involved in the project, which sees them provided with an enclosure for their hens along with enough feed, hay and equipment to last a year.

The project is organised by Greater Manchester- based charity, Crossroads Together and funded by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group’s (HMR CCG) Social Investment Fund. It is being delivered in partnership with students and teachers from Hopwood Hall College’s animal management facility. The college will help support the project lead and will be on hand for on-going advice and to support the care homes with caring for their hens.

Dr Chris Duffy, chair of HMR CCG and a local GP, said: “The hens are great therapy for the residents at the care home, particularly those with dementia who have benefitted enormously from looking after the birds. The project is having a positive effect on residents’ wellbeing and this is testament to its success. Well done to all involved.”

Wendy Estlick, manager of Cleggsworth House, said: “This is a pioneering project that has really helped to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents. The chicks, named Barbara, Brenda, Belinda, Bella and Hannah, have become a huge part of residents’ lives and they also lay delicious eggs that have made breakfast time even more enjoyable!”