For-purpose Catholic aged care provider VMCH is appealing for donations to build a sensory garden for residents at its Wantirna aged care home.
For those moving into residential aged care, leaving behind long-cultivated gardens is a difficult step but the new Growing Together appeal aims to help residents reconnect with their love of gardening and each other.
VMCH chief executive officer Sonya Smart said they hope to raise $90,000 for the sensory garden – which would be a pilot program, featuring fruit and vegetable patches, a potting and tool shed, flower beds and even chickens.
Sonya Smart (VMCH)
“Sensory gardens are designed to cater to the functional limitations of all residents, providing significant benefits through various sensory experiences such as smelling, touching, tasting and sounds,” Ms Smart told Australian Ageing Agenda.
“Residents with early and middle-stage dementia can still enjoy the physical aspects of gardening as well as the sensory benefits. Even in the comfort care stage or end stage of a person’s dementia journey, sensory gardens have been proven to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase cognitive function. These gardens give all residents a sense of purpose, value, and achievement, and they also encourage social interaction and enjoyment.”
Although some residents may be unable to participate in the actual physical gardening process, sensory gardens create discussions about what plants to plant, when to plant them, and how they are to be looked after and everyone can enjoy the produce, Ms Smart explained.
They also provide a quiet and relaxing space for residents and families to visit and the flowers grown can be enjoyed by all through making small arrangements for the dining tables or in residents’ rooms and produce can be used in food prepared in the kitchens, she added.
“Memories about gardens – the smells, tastes, and sounds – evoke wonderful feelings. Birds love to visit the sensory gardens, which again encourage memories and conversations,” Ms Smart told AAA.
VMCH Wantirna resident Beryl, 84, left behind her garden when she moved in last year and said having a sensory garden would be a “blessing.”
“When we [residents] are all together, we will make a beautiful garden,” she said.
Beryl misses her rose garden (supplied by VMCH)
Fellow resident Graeme also said he would love the opportunity to grow vegetables in the garden.
“Before I came here, I had a nice garden in the backyard – vegetables mainly. I’d get the vegetables ready for mum, who cooked the most magnificent roast. I would absolutely love a sensory garden. It would bring the people who don’t get out as much into the garden, and they can get involved in it,” he said.
Aged care resident Graeme enjoys planting vegetables (supplied by VMCH)
VMCH lifestyle teams are similarly excited about the opportunity to start individual and group workshops on gardening, harvesting or woodwork skills.
“While we do enjoy maintaining lovely gardens at our aged care residences, special projects like this require community support,” Ms Smart added.
“Once successfully established, we hope to roll this out at our other aged care homes, bringing joy to hundreds more residents across Victoria.”
Ms Smart told AAA they chose the Wantirna home to pilot the project because of the enthusiastic gardening culture among residents, believing the initiative will bring immense happiness and fulfilment to their lives.
Donations to the Growing Together appeal can be made here or by calling 1300 698 624.
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