Gardening can be a natural therapy for older adults and people living with dementia, offering a variety of benefits including promoting activity, creativity, and exercise that supports heart health. Research shows that gardening is also beneficial to the brain by boosting mood, improving emotional well-being, and lowering the risk of stroke and dementia. Another advantage of gardening is that it is the ideal activity to engage in with others to promote social interaction and connectivity.
Personal and community gardens are great spaces for older adults and/or their caregivers to enjoy a moment of respite, or to get active. Some studies have concluded that older adults who had contact with nature, regardless of ‘doing’ gardening or simply ‘being’ in the garden, experienced enhanced self-esteem, sense of accomplishment, social engagement, and exercise. Additionally, participating in activities you enjoy, such as gardening, is an important part of healthy aging and can help you feel better connected to your community and the world around you.
One Dementia Friendly Community in Illinois saw this beloved pastime as an opportunity for collaboration. Dementia Friendly is part of a national movement to create communities that promote education and awareness about dementia to help diminish stigma, reduce social isolation, and cultivate a more welcoming and inclusive culture for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Glencoe, Illinois, who achieved national recognition as a Dementia Friendly Community in July 2019, recently partnered with Family Service Glencoe (FSG) and the Chicago Botanic Garden to make the Garden a space that is more accessible to people with dementia and their caregivers.
In 2023, Family Service of Glencoe trained public-facing staff at the Garden and developed interactive programs to better engage individuals with dementia and their care partners. The pilot program included dementia education for staff and interactive discussions and creative planning with the Interpretation and Horticulture Therapy teams to initiate a program called “Garden Exploration.” Once the programming was developed, FSG spent a day at the Garden conducting three sessions, each providing a theme and specialized hands-on, sensory projects that participants could take home with them. Participants included groups from an adult day center, a memory café, and a memory care community.
Emily Mysel, MSW, LSW, is the Senior Program Manager for Family Service of Glencoe, and helped to organize the programming. Mysel emphasized the importance of the collaboration because the Chicago Botanic Garden is an integral part of the community. She noted that many frequent visitors to the garden have a diagnosis of dementia or are caring for someone with dementia, and that all would benefit from this community effort.
“The programming that occurred on that day was therapeutic, interactive and allowed for care partners to participate and engage with their loved ones that are sometimes hard to connect with,” Mysel said.
According to Mysel, the positive responses from participants have sparked further discussions on enhancing the dementia-friendly garden experience.
Dementia Friendly Communities across Illinois and America are working to make their corners of the world a more understanding and accessible place for people with dementia and their caregivers. This partnership between Family Service of Glencoe and the Chicago Botanic Garden illustrates that one way to do this is by examining the dementia-accessibility of spaces that already appeal to seniors, like community gardens.
To learn more about these efforts, visit dfamerica.org.
Pictured: The pavilion at the Chicago Botanic Garden where the dementia friendly programming was held.
Pictured: Seniors and their loved ones participate in one of the gardening activity sessions held by Family Service of Glencoe and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Pictured: A floral arrangement in a pumpkin, created as part of the dementia friendly programming.
###
