Local Farm Brings a ‘Unicorn’ to Visit Nursing Home Residents

First Foundations Farm is located in Middleboro. They brought a couple of four-legged visitors to cheer up the residents at Oak Hill HealthCare during the coronavirus outbreak.

Stephanie Speers I the owner and trainer at First Foundations Farm. She told us that they actually make the trip a couple of times each year.

“We usually go inside. They have a really nice courtyard and bring out all the residents that are able to come out and they get to feed the horses carrots and things like that,” said Speers. “Sometimes the mini pig, Maisie tags along too. For the residents who cannot come out to the courtyard, we’ll actually take her inside to the physical therapy rooms or wherever they are so they can have some fun, too.”

Speers started the partnership with the rehabilitation facility through her friend, Wendy Wirrell, who is the Activities Director at Oakhill HealthCare. “We’ll dress them up for whatever holiday it is, or maybe a theme that they are going with that day. We’ll try our best to work with that.

Speers explained that the enrichment program is as much for the owner and horses as much as it is for the residents. “We donate our time and don’t charge anything to do this. We have fun doing it, so we just do it for them.”

The unicorn costume is usually reserved for birthday parties, but Speers wanted to do something to really brighten their day on Tuesday, March 24. “They absolutely loved it. You could see their faces light up and smile. They put their hands right up to the window as if they could touch the horse/unicorn. It was really cute.”

Faith was the unicorn that day. Milly was her faithful companion. While Maisie didn’t join in the fun this week, there’s always next week. “We are probably going to stick the mini pig in a tutu for a visit sometime soon.”