The magic of Christmas arrived at Westbury Court Care Home in Wiltshire on 18th December when we were visited by two beautiful reindeer from The Somerset Reindeer Ranch.
The reindeers, called Comet and Winter, gave sleigh rides to our residents and their family and friends who joined us for an afternoon of festive fun. Comet and Winter even took a ride in our lift to visit residents in their bedrooms which meant that everyone could meet the delightful creatures.
We hand fed the deer with their favourite food - moss sourced from Norway, and they certainly didn't go hungry during the afternoon with plenty of volunteers wanting to give them a treat!
Sarah Sutton from Somerset Reindeer Ranch told us that Winter is a very special deer, with a very rare coat as white as the driven snow. Only one in ten thousand reindeer are born white and are considered to be lucky charms in Scandinavia. We also got to meet Bailey - a Samoyed dog, the breed used to herd the reindeer. Bailey is blind so has retired from official duties but loves to accompany the deer on their social visits and is so soft and fluffy and loved all the attention he got from us.
Suzanne, Activities Coordinator said "It was the most magical day filled with fun and lots of laughter. To see the joy on our resident's faces was just wonderful. Special thanks to all the care team who helped our residents enjoy the experience of a sleigh ride, and to Somerset Reindeer Ranch team, and of course Comet, Winter and Bailey who we all fell in love with."
Westbury Court Care Home is located in Westbury, Wiltshire and provides dementia care, nursing care, palliative care, residential care and respite care.
