No yolk! Gracie the chicken has residents’ hearts


Most people have heard of therapy dogs visiting assisted living communities to provide affection, comfort and support to residents, but how about a therapy chicken?.

Meet Gracie, a 4-year-old chicken who has become one of the most coveted visitors at Good Samaritan Society’s Willow Wind Assisted Living facility in Prescott, AZ

“I consider my residents family,” activities director and Gracie’s owner Becky Medina said. “What brings me joy is making them happy, and Gracie brings them so much happiness. Many of the residents grew up on farms, and Gracie evokes so many wonderful memories for them.”

“When I first moved here in September, everyone kept telling me I had to meet Gracie, and I thought she was a woman,” recalled Barbara Hebert, a resident at Willow Wind and one of Gracie’s biggest fans. “Then they told me she was a chicken, and I couldn’t believe it. She’s just so sweet and makes me feel so calm. She just lays there on my lap.”

Read more from McKnight’s Senior Living

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