A care home resident in Frome had her wish come true when she spent the afternoon with some four-legged friends.
When the team at Care UK’s Rossetti House, on Welshmill Lane, heard 89-year-old resident Andrée Spark say that her wish was to spend time with dogs, they were more than happy to make it happen.
Growing up, Andrée always had a love for dogs and previously owned a westie of her own, so the team was thrilled to be able to reunite her with her favourite breed.
Andrée was surprised with four ‘paw-sitively adorable’ dogs, including Elsie the springer spaniel, Coco the westie, Joey the miniature pomeranian and Blake the Australian shepherd, who were brought to Rossetti House by volunteers from Dogs for Health. Receiving plenty of fuss and attention, both Andrée and the dogs enjoyed a ‘barking mad’ afternoon of fun.
Andrée said, “I would have been happy with just one but so many dogs came to see me, it was lovely.”
The special visit was part of the Care UK Wishing Tree Initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new, from flying on a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper. No wish is too big or small.
General manager at Rossetti House, Phil Vale, said, “We always like to go the extra mile for residents here at Rossetti House and when Andrée said she wanted to spend an afternoon with some fluffy friends, we were excited to make it happen for her.
“Andrée was thrilled when we surprised her with the dogs, and we had a ‘paw-some’ time welcoming them into the home. We were pleased to be able to make Andrée’s wish come true and it was wonderful to see the smile on her face as she enjoyed meeting Elsie, Coco, Joey and Blake.
“I would like to extend a big thank you to the volunteers at Dogs for Health for making Andrée’s day – she hasn’t stopped smiling since!”
Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence, Rossetti House incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been designed to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.
For more information on Rossetti House, please call home admissions advisor Helen Cross on 01373 887988, email helen.cross@careuk.com or visit: careuk.com/rossetti- house.
Pictured: Andrée with Dogs for Health volunteers, Esmee, Penny, Heather, Gail and their furry friends
