A BELGOOLY woman has become the ‘poster girl’ for a new Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) video to promote and highlight residential care for elderly people.
At 96 years of age, Honor Cattell – who grew up with horses at her home nearby and went hunting in her younger days – showed no signs of shyness when she starred in the recent video featuring therapy horses that were brought to Cramer Court Nursing Home in Belgooly.
‘The NHI had been looking to do something different and put a call out for nursing homes to send proposals to them and we put a story forward about Honor and her family were delighted with this,’ said activities co-ordinator Teresa O’Donovan.
‘It wasn’t just putting out a story and we wanted to go the extra mile and get her to engage with what she loved before, which were horses. It’s about creating new memories for residents like Honor and connecting her with her community and what she loved.’
The video captures the joy on Honor’s face when she gets to see the horses, known as therapy horses that are regularly brought to Cramer Court by Dr Caroline Murphy and her daughter Jill, who run Ainrush Stables in Limerick.
‘We started by taking Honor to a local riding school first before we sourced the therapy horses. It’s not just Honor, but other residents also get to see them when they come to visit.’
Teresa said the new campaign by NHI is to revamp how people think of nursing homes.
‘It’s about taking away the stigma of nursing homes to show that we have loads of fun and that nursing homes have evolved. Bringing these horses in so that Honor and other residents can see them is one example of this.’
Other recent events that the residents took part in were a mock wedding, The Rose of Tralee and several participated in the Kinsale Pink Ribbon Walk, with Teresa and another resident, Judy O’Donovan, even making the front page of The Southern Star.
To see the video go to www.nhi.ie/caringtogether
