Feds invest in chooks to ease the stress of dementia

A THIRD Darling Downs aged care home received a major grant to upgrade its facilities and some of the money will be spent on chickens.

Clifton Community Health Services hopes to buy more chickens for it memory health unit. Picture: mike knott

A THIRD Darling Downs aged care home has received a major grant to upgrade its facilities and some of the money will be spent on chickens.

Clifton Community Health Services secured $210,000 to improve its dementia health unit.

Co-op president Brad Jones said the money would be spent on improved security, a new nursing station and an outdoor seating area, with extra shading and re-aligned pathways.

"Depending on how we go we'll look at building some raised garden beds and buying some additional chickens,” he said. "The residents look after the birds and collect their eggs, but they are pets more than anything.”

Chickens might not seem like therapy tools for dementia patients but Mr Jones swears by them.

"Our residents respond really well to them,” he said.

"A lot of the residents are from rural areas and it is part of preserving that connection to their early life.”

Clifton Community Health Services runs a private hospital, a nursing home and the Clifton Medical Practice.

Despite having so many businesses under the co-op, Mr Jones said investment cash was always had to find.

"Residential aged care is pretty tough, so it is good to get these grants,” Mr Jones said.

"We always have more demand than we can supply for.”

The grant is from the Federal Government's Aged Care Approvals Round and Maranoa MP David Littleproud said he was happy to see the money spent in the chook pen.

"Our seniors like being outdoors and providing a relaxing and comfortable space that meets this requirement takes some vision and creativity,” he said.

The announcement follows a similar cash injection for Southern Cross Aged Care Allora and Killarney Memorial Aged Care.