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monday, may 19, 2014 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Section B
senior living
Thorne Crest- Breaking New Ground In 2014! • Independent Living • Assisted Living • Rehabilitation • Health Care
Coming In 2014!
Artist’s Rendering – Entryway
★ New Wellness Center and Pool ★ New Assisted Living ★ New Memory Care ★ Redesigned Health Center & TCU ★ New Attached Heated Parking Garage Call Karen to tour the community.
Artist’s Rendering – New Lobby
(507) 373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net 1201 Garfield Ave. Albert Lea, MN, 56007
RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Thorne Crest is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.
Good Samaritan Society has
gone to the goats Billy came to Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea with Minni and Mocha, the two pygmy goats, as their “uncle.” Hannah Dillon/Albert Lea Tribune
Goats foster wellness in the Good Samaritan Society residents By Hannah Dillon hannah.dillon@albertleatribune.com
Besides the residents, there are three furry, fourlegged creatures that call Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea their home. For as long as anyone can remember, there have been goats at Good Samaritan Society, said director of recreation and wellness Stacy Johnson. The three goats that live there now — Billy, Mocha and Minni — have been living in the courtyard for just two years, but there have been many goats before them. Johnson has been at Good Samaritan Society for almost six years, and there have been goats in the courtyard for as long as she’s been there. The space the goats live has even been dubbed “the goat yard,” Johnson said.
Usually Good Samaritan Society only has two pygmy goats, but when Billy, Minni and Mocha were acquired two years ago, there was a caveat. Johnson said the two pygmy goats, Minni and Mocha, were found on Craiglist. When their original owner was contacted for a sale, Billy was also part of the deal — as their “uncle,” a friend that the two smaller goats had grown up with. These are also the most interactive goats that Johnson said she’s seen at Good Samaritan Society, and attributes that to the fact that they were raised on a family farm with children. The goats are affectionate and engaging and Billy can even be walked on a leash. As much as the goats seem to like to live in the goat yard, Johnson said the residents love having them as well. She
said the goats foster wellness within the residents. Having the goats around gives the residents a “sense of purpose,” Johnson said. They take ownership and pride in their barnyard pets, and Johnson said that the residents are the first to notify her if the goats’ water or hay is getting low. She said that residents can even have jobs taking care of the goats, such as feeding and watering them. This also contributes to their sense of ownership over the animals, and Johnson stressed that this is important to people living in long-term care facilities. Most residents like to sit and watch the goats play and will even bring their family to see them, excited to show off their four-legged neighbors, Johnson said. Having the goats is also important because it gives
many of the residents a way to reminisce about the past and to bond with others, as most of the people living there come from a farming background, Johnson said. The goats will be at Good
Samaritan Society for the spring and summer months. During the fall and winter, they go to live in a heated barn at a volunteer’s house until the weather warms back up.
Mocha, left, and Minni are two pygmy goats that reside at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea during the spring and summer.
Thorne Crest residents head to Hills Garden to pick out flowers
A Thorne Crest resident picks out flowers at Hills Garden. Provided
Thorne Crest residents and staff had a good time picking out spring plants at Hills gardens recently.