Bird-Feeders at Retirement Homes

When my father was up in his eighties and living in a retirement home, my brother brought him a bird-feeder and set it up outside his window for him. He knew that my father would like this because he had had a bird-feeder outside his front window at home for many years and had always loved nature.

Sure enough, cardinals and blue jays came to the feeder. Red-winged blackbirds came up from the nearby marsh. My father enjoyed watching them far more than he had a use for the colour television in his room. Everyday he put out more seeds for the birds, from a large bag of seed which my brother had brought him.

The next time I went to visit my father, there was a whole row of bird-feeders, all along that side of the building - one outside each resident's window. A new interest had been created, which kept both the seniors and the birds happy.