Residents at Mishawaka senior living facility visited by horses at their windows

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Residents at Creekside Village in Mishawaka were surprised with window visits by the Horses of Hope, providing them with joy and comfort during a time of difficulty due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Because of the restrictions caused by COVID-19, American Senior Communities, the healthcare provider that oversees Creekside Village, decided that the best way to bring entertainment and happiness to their residents was with special window visits from horses.

The horses circled around the Mishawaka facility, as residents assembled at their windows to watch everything happen.

Caretakers and faculty for American Senior Communities remarked that residents greatly enjoyed the visit.

“Their faces just lit up! We saw so much joy and excitement,” a spokesperson for one ASC community said. “Residents came to the window to clap and wave as the animals paraded past. This has been an awesome day for our residents, something they were very excited about.”

ABC57 got a chance to speak with the Megan Stearly, the Costumer Care Coordinator at Creekside Village, and she said that the visit was needed to brighten everyone’s day.

“Just to bring some light during this kind of bad time of COVID,” Stearly said. “Especially with no visitation right now. Our staff and our residents here — they need something different just to uplift their spirits during the day.”

Other nursing homes and healthcare facilities in the Michiana area will be visited by the Horse of Hope during this week.