Nationwide bird-watching event comes home to roost for Care UK residents

Feb. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- The annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch weekend at the end of January is the world’s biggest wildlife survey and gives the charity vital information to monitor bird populations.

This year, for the first time, more than 100 Care UK’s residential care homes and day clubs have signed up to take part in the event and submit their findings to the RSPB.
Care UK homes provide specialist support to thousands of older people, from residential care to nursing and expert dementia care. Joining in the Big Garden Birdwatch is a practical element of the activity based care delivered in Care UK’s homes, and has particular value as a way of stimulating people living with dementia.

With homes spread across the UK – from Aberdeen to Dorset – residents at Care UK homes are perfectly placed to make a contribution towards the results this year.
Each of our homes has gardens and outdoor spaces with bird tables and feedings stations, meaning residents are already used to seeing plenty of birdlife all year round.

Following the completion of the Big Garden Birdwatch, Care UK homes will be continuing the bird theme, with a CD of recorded birdsong set to be arriving in all homes around the country. Thanks to the therapeutic effect of birdsong, the CD will be used to help promote wellbeing amongst people living with dementia, as well as providing great opportunities for quizzes and reminiscence activities.

Now in its 34th year, the survey provides the RSPB with an important snapshot of garden bird populations in winter and has helped to highlight some dramatic declines in UK garden birds. In 2012, around 600,000 people across the UK counted more than nine million birds, giving the RSPB some essential data about birds around the country.

Maizie Mears-Owen, Care UK’s Head of Dementia Care, said that staying connected with nature is an important and fulfilling activity, particularly for people living with dementia: “Many of the residents in our homes already enjoy bird-watching throughout the year, and we encourage people to enjoy the great outdoors as much as possible.

“Nature and birds have a wonderfully therapeutic effect on people and it is both relaxing and stimulating to count birds and watch them, whether that is outdoors in the garden or from the warmth and comfort of indoors, and it not only stimulates memories but also encourages conversations amongst those taking part. This is an ideal activity for families to join in with too, giving those residents a lovely opportunity to share the experience with their children and grandchildren.

“We’re really pleased to know that our homes are taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this year, it’s great to be part of such a nationally important survey.”

Care UK’s support for the Big Garden Birdwatch, on January 26 and 27, has been welcomed by the RSPB and Sarah Houghton, RSPB manager for the Birdwatch, said: “Residents at Care UK homes will play a vital role, along with everyone else who takes part, in helping to gather important information about some of our most familiar and best-loved garden birds. It’s a great way for people to get to know the creatures that live around them, but it also helps us to find out more about the numbers and distribution of birds across UK gardens, and that’s the first step in helping some of our struggling species.”

Visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch to find out more about taking part.