When Twin Creeks Assisted Living and Memory Care business office director Stacie Leonard brought her pet, a 16-year-old blue-fronted Amazon parrot named Cay to work, she didn’t know he’d become such a hit with her bird and residents alike.
“He likes a lot more interaction than he was getting at home and our residents were fascinated with him,” she said.
Cay started visiting the facility more often until Leonard had trouble getting him out of his cage at night to go home with her.
“He made it pretty clear to me that he liked it here so Cay spends weekdays at Twin Creeks and comes home with me only on the weekends,” she said.
It’s no wonder he’s a happy bird with so many residents coming out to talk to him.
If he wants someone to visit him? He does what any sensible parrot would do…he barks like a dog until someone comes to talk to him.
Resident Nila Jones visits him in his cage in the sunny conservatory three times a day, patiently trying to teach the bird to say her name. The 86-year-old said she never had birds growing up and being around one that can talk is pretty neat. Sometimes he whistles at her or says a word.
“I’m going to come out every day and patiently repeat my name over and over and one day he’ll say it back to me,” she said.
So far, she’s had no luck.
Resident Marguerite Studstill sings to him.
“I try to get him to sing but he just looks at me,” she joked.
Twin Creeks marketing director Krysta Lowe said visiting Cay is just another choice residents have.
“Some residents don’t want to participate in our scheduled group activities but they will walk to the conservatory to visit Cay,” she said. “It gives them another option.”
It’s no surprise that Twin Creeks Assisted Living and Memory Care is a pet-friendly community.
Space is currently available in the 96 bed (64 assisted living and 32 memory care) facility located at 13470 Boyette Rd. in Riverview. Its healthcare team includes a 24-hour nurse, onsite physical, occupational and speech therapy and physicians that come on-site to offer dentistry, podiatry, dermatology and chiropractic services. An ECC (Extended Congregate Care) license allows residents to age-in-place.
Just a few of the amenities residents enjoy are restaurant-style dining, a full schedule of daily activities, craft room, fitness center, hair salon, library and more.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit www.twincreeksretire.com or call 336-2128.
