HENS AGAINST ANXIOLYTICS

A British NGO develops a project which improves the mood of the elderly, providing care for chickens.

It all started in 2012, in a nursing Newcastle, northeast England. An old man with dementia constantly complained that was missing which he called "my girls". Caregivers thought that their daughters are concerned. Until repaired when he was talking about his chickens. The school management accepted the request of the resident assistants. They contacted with the NGO Equal Arts, which for a quarter century tested pioneering projects to help older people, and Bought six hens and a henhouse second hand. The atmosphere in the residence moved completely with the arrival of the animals in principle as bland as chickens. Your presence helped break down barriers of loneliness and isolation and they created an unexpected vital incentive for the elderly.

The idea was baptized as Hen Power, The Power of Hens. A British National Lottery liked the initiative and in August 2012 He gave them aid 200.000 euros, with which began at eight points Pilot. Today we can say that hens work. A study by the University of Northumbria has concluded that the number of depressions plummeted, conflicts among the inmates decreased 50%, and anxiolytics in many cases have virtually disappeared. Further, the mood of caregivers of hens has improved, and it is believed to help mitigate senile dementia.

At first, the arrival of the birds was met with skepticism. "By God, they are just chickens!», protested an elder at seeing their peers adopt them as pets. But everyone has finished more or less involved, because about chickens was created activities mesh. The elderly caregivers visiting colleges with their hens, providing that the old can live a while with children. Arts Equal volunteers organize festivals of song and dance with thematic gallinácea. As common as seeing the first chick hatched breaking into a residence scenes provoked tears of internal and carers. Although eggs sold, about two dozen euros, allowing you to add another activity more. Given the good performance of poultry, Lottery contributed last May 1 million pounds to continue expanding HenPower, that will arrive shortly to London and Frankfurt.

But after much clucking is what underlies brutal loneliness of many elderly in the United Kingdom. Although the Spanish few things please us more than to speak ill of ourselves, the fact is that Spain still has an impressive network of family ties of affection and mutual aid. In Britain are much more diluted. Long before children leave the paternal home and the relationship is more detached. Half a million elderly Britons spend Christmas alone. Skype is replacing personal visits. According to a survey, the 45% of those older people who are alone at parties say they are simply because their parents do not want them. The Royal Voluntary Service has launched a campaign for volunteers to accompany the elderly doomed to loneliness at Christmas and New Year.

ITEM D. LUIS WINDY ABC CORRESPONDENT IN LONDON

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