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02/13/2019 07:00 AMFour of the newest residents at Whispering Pines nursing home are there to provide support and comfort to the people recovering there. In exchange, they’ve earned a new home.
The newcomers are cockatiels, rescued by the Northeast Avian Rescue (NEAR) and delivered to Whispering Pines, formerly Talmadge Park, as part of a pilot program with other nursing homes in the region.
“The Whispering Pines situation is the embodiment of an idea my wife and I actually came up with a couple years ago,” said Robert Lewis, who runs NEAR with his wife, Jill.
He said that in the past, NEAR rescued many birds who were not being cared for properly from nursing homes, but the residents of those homes were often sad to see them go.
“The residents so enjoyed looking at and doting on the birds,” said Lewis, who realized that if proper care could be ensured, “we could find homes for these small birds and really provide a nice [distraction] from the daily grind for the people living in these places.”
The program at Whispering Pines came about when Whispering Pines CEO Michael Bartolotta contacted NEAR with his plans.
Whispering Pines is too far away for NEAR, which is headquartered in Albany, New York, but provides service to the entire Northeast, to send a volunteer to help with the birds, but two Whispering Pines residents have stepped up to help out.
Resident council presidents Joe Cadella and Devorah Bisnov have become the primary caregivers.
“They’re not as easy as some people think,” Bisnov said. “They’re nice, quiet usually, but they take a lot of work.”
Bisnov said that two of the birds are twin boys and are nearing the end of their juvenile period. The residents are hoping they will still be able to learn to mimic human speech.
“They get along well with each other,” Cadella said. “We were figuring we’d have a territory fight, but they get along.”
Cadella said the only real trouble they had with the birds occurred early on when the cockatiels made an escape attempt shortly after arriving. Cadella had to go off and catch them.
“They were like a shot out of a howitzer [when] you open the door,” he said.
The birds’ speed wasn’t the only surprise.
“Believe it or not, these little birds eat a lot,” Bisnov said.
They go through 2 ½ pounds of seed every two weeks.
Together, Bisnov and Cadella are responsible for keeping the cage clean and the birds fed and watered, but they’re not the only ones who enjoy having the birds around.
“Other residents come down all day long to visit the birds,” said Recreation Director Mary Rosa. “They really get a lot of joy out of them.”
All according to plan, the birds have become a beneficial addition to the nursing home. It’s part of a bigger plan to bring more animals to Whispering Pines. Rosa said they’ve hired a company to establish a large saltwater fish tank for residents to enjoy.
“These birds are very relaxing,” Cadella said. “They don’t fight and they sing a lot. That in itself is relaxing.”
“If you’re having a bad day and you go in [to see the birds] you can’t help but smile,” Bisnov said.
Rosa said that the birds’ success at Whispering Pines has led them to consider adopting more birds from NEAR.
“We are really thrilled that the birds are able to brighten the residents’ days and proud that we were able to help,” Lewis said. “Since this adoption was completed, Jill and I have spoken several times about resurrecting the local plans to expand the program.”