Theresidentsarereallymakingmyjobeasier;manyof
themgivemeadailyreportontheirbirds(e.g.,“singsall
day,” “doesn’t eat,” “seems perkier”).
M.C.wentonbirdroundswithmetoday.Usuallyshesits
bythestorageroomdoor,watchingmecomeandgo,so
thismorningIaskedherifshewantedtogowithme.She
veryenthusiasticallyagreed,soawaywewent.AsIwas
feedingandwatering,M.C.heldthefoodcontainerfor
me.Iexplainedeachsteptoher,andwhenImistedthe
birds she laughed and laughed.
TheinhabitantsofChaseMemorialNursingHomenow
includedonehundredparakeets,fourdogs,twocats,plus
acolonyofrabbitsandaflockoflayinghens.Therewere
alsohundredsofindoorplantsandathrivingvegetable
andflowergarden.Thehomehadon-sitechildcarefor
the staff and a new after-school program.
Researchersstudiedtheeffectsofthisprogramovertwo
years, comparing a variety of measures for Chase’s
residentswiththoseofresidentsatanothernursinghome
nearby. Their study found that the number of
prescriptionsrequiredperresidentfelltohalfthatofthe
controlnursinghome.Psychotropicdrugsforagitation,
likeHaldol,decreasedinparticular.Thetotaldrugcosts
felltojust 38 percentofthecomparisonfacility.Deaths
fell 15 percent.
The study couldn’t say why. But Thomas thought he
could.“Ibelievethatthedifferenceindeathratescanbe
traced to thefundamental humanneedfor a reason to
live.” And other research was consistent with this
conclusion.Intheearly1970s,thepsychologistsJudith