Just a Chirp by Jack Reed

Some nursing homes are not too receptive to keeping pets and or birds--"too much work". As the chairman of a volunteer Nursing /Adult Care Homes committee in Henderson County, NC I had a personal experience that really left an impression on me.

Jack Reed

Jack Reed is Chairman of the Henderson County, NC, Community Advisory Committee. The CAC members (approximately 22) are appointed by the county commissioners and function as a primary contact in the regional Ombudsman program. Their prime responsibility is to advise the community (and proper authorities) of the status of residents in Nursing Homes and Adult Care Homes in Henderson County.

He can be reached by phone at 828-697-2128 or via mail at 102 Cannon Dr, Hendersonville, NC 28792-1117

After convincing the administrator and activities director that parakeets and canaries are really very little work to maintain and that a very generous donor was willing to donate the birds, cages and seed they agreed to try two canaries.

Another committee member and myself arrived at the facility shortly after lunch and carried the two cages and canaries down a hallway to a room where the birds would be kept. Quite a few of the residents were resting (asleep) in their wheelchairs. As we walked down the hallway the canaries were doing their usual-chirping and singing. As we passed each "resting" resident they awoke and wheeled their chairs into the room right behind us.

Many of these residents were non-communicative under normal circumstances--but the birds had so interested them that several began to "talk" communicate with them. (I am not ashamed to admit that I had watery eyes observing this transition.)

One of these canaries is routinely taken to a particular room where the lady believes it is her canary she had many years ago. When there is a need to communicate with her attendants must shout into her ear due to her acute deafness. But when HER canary sings she immediately comments on how sweetly it is singing--she does hear the canary.

This same facility recently had some consultants evaluating the operation and came up with a recommendation to "eliminate the birds-no need for them". Fortunately, the residents learned of this recommendation and were literally up in arms. The birds stayed. The administrator who had originally been lukewarm about bringing in birds has been so moved--she went out and bought three cockatiels the same day!

There are three prime killers in nursing homes: boredom, loneliness, helplessness. Dr.William Thomas, MD, in his book titled "Life Worth Living"--How Someone You Love Can Still Enjoy Life in a Nursing Home explains these three killers in detail. I found the book difficult to put down before I finished it. Birds can help in each of these areas-I think they are self explanatory except for helplessness. A resident feels needed and therefore not helpless if they are allowed to help in the care of the bird. Maybe I should explain the other two also-- boredom; an active healthy bird will never let you be bored; loneliness; theirs always someone to "talk" to--and don't think they won't carry on a "conversation" with you.

These are facts--not a commercial.

(Now I know why God made so many birds.)