Residents at Gibraltar Nursing Home in Monmouth were recently treated to a visit from alpacas Tilly, Percy, and George, courtesy of Bedrock Alpaca visits.

The furry trio spent time with the "family members" of the home, bringing smiles and a touch of joy to their day.

Alpacas are gentle and calm animals with soft pelts, making them perfect companions for care home visits. Their docile nature and soft, padded feet ensure they don’t cause much noise, which is ideal for residents, particularly those living with dementia.

During the visit, Gibraltar Nursing Home residents, or “family members” as they’re affectionately called, had the chance to pet the alpacas and feed them carrots. The visit proved to be a big hit, adding to the home’s regular animal therapy, which includes visits from Poppy, a therapy dog.

Steve Jones, owner of Bedrock Alpaca Visits, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022. He found that caring for his alpacas helped improve his own wellbeing, and decided to share that positive experience with others.

“I wanted to give others the same sense of wellbeing,” Steve explained.

“Visiting children’s hospices and care homes and seeing the smiles and laughter from the animal visits made me incredibly happy and proud to share these beautiful animals.”

Gibraltar Nursing Home’s approach to life creates a place where everyone can feel safe and recognises the values, beliefs and identity of each person. Each person that may need support is unique and by understanding one’s life history, one’s journey in life, by striving to be a true continuation of home, the team at the home aims to create a place where everyone feels safe and never alone.

To find out more about the activities that Gibraltar Nursing Home offers, please visit their website, which can be found at: gibraltarnursinghome.com