ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Horses from Joyous Acres, a family-owned rescue farm in Milton, visited seniors Dec. 24 at Addington Place, an assisted living and memory care community in Alpharetta.
Joy Lim Nakrin, along with her 72-year-old parents, Teresita Lim King and Andrew Nakrin, and her 74-year-old aunt Betty Lim King run Joyous Acres.
Over the past year, the family has welcomed residents of Village Park, a retirement community in Alpharetta, to their 20-plus-acre farm off Brittle Road for pet therapy visits in their Seniors for Seniors program where elders share the healing power of animals with other seniors.
But, for the first time, the family transported horses to seniors who aren’t as mobile.
“They can’t come to our home, so we’re going to theirs,” said Betty, who founded the Seniors for Senior program. “That’s our next step. We find that we could have a better outreach that way.”
More than a dozen residents at Addington Place were able to interact with Geronimo and Bella, both dressed in their best festive attire.
Teresita, founder of Joyous Acres, said she always dreamed of having a farm for rescued animals, especially for the older animals who are overlooked but have a lot of love to give.
Bella is a 28-year-old Arabian mare, who had been passed over for adoption for seven years at Save the Horses shelter in Cumming before the family took her in. Geronimo, or Gerry, adopted from Second Chance Stables in North Carolina, is a former plow horse who had been dumped for slaughter.
Betty shared how the pair created a relaxing environment for the seniors at Addington Place, sparking spontaneity and funny conversation.
But, she also described the joy it brought her family.
“… They found it also very relaxing and therapeutic for themselves because they met other seniors. It was in a different environment,” Betty said….
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