There are lasting benefits of gardening for someone who has Dementia, which include:
- Stimulating reminiscing
- Reducing pain
- Improving attention span
- Lowering stress
- Lessening agitation
- Decreasing the need for medications
- Improving strength and balance to help minimise falls
- Emotionally healing
Residents at Addison Park Nursing Home have been working on a new vegetable patch. So far they have planted their own carrots, runner beans, sweet corn and courgettes. Later they hope to plant broccoli seeds and a kindly donated rhubarb plant. They have plans to make the vegetable patch seasonal so as to make the most use of it. The vegetables grown will be used in the kitchen and enjoyed by all in the prepared meals.
The residents have chosen and planted the seeds into pots that they have decorated. Once the seeds are established, they will be planted outside in the raised bed. Residents are enjoying tending to the seedlings and watching them grow.
