Mother sat in her rocking chair before the sliding glass door watching the activities of the nuthatches, chickadees, juncos, and bluejays, our most frequent visitors. Their chirping was her winter music, their antics an amusement that brightened her day in a progressingly confused world.
As Mother watched these birds midst storms and below zero temperatures, it brought back memories as she told stories of her childhood. She also sang the song her grandmother sang to her about the birds on their farm.
Bird watching is an enjoyable activity for children and helps develop their interest in nature and the creatures of the out-of-doors. Shut-ins find much pleasure in watching bird feeder visitors outside their windows, too. Often nursing homes have these feeders outside the windows to entertain their residents. When Mother eventually moved to a home, she enjoyed watching the birds there, too.
re: Bird watching in an Alzheimer’s World.
Does the author know of anyone who currently uses birdwatching as therapy for Alzheimer’s?
Hello Phil,
Thanks for visiting Alzheimer’s News & Notes. According to this article, Pet Therapy for Alzheimer’s Patients, (http://www.caring.com/articles/alzheimers-pet-therapy ), bird watching and looking at aquariums appear to have positive results. Also, Purdue University apparently has done some research into this.
When my mom was in the nursing home, they had a bird feeder outside the activity room window for a time. At another nursing home, where I was giving a talk, they had bird cages the residents could watch.
Thanks for the information about Purdue University.
I’m from NH and will look in state, as well.
I’m in NH, too, Phil. I took care of my mom at her home in NYS, but eventually moved her here. She lived with us for awhile, then in a nursing home. My aunt, her sister, lived in NYS, where she became my responsibility.