Dementia and daffodils

When asked to describe the community spirit in the Mackay Unit of Iona, manager Stephenie Leith uses words such as wonderful, stunning and meaningful.

Her comments come following the wonderful collaboration between Michelle Munro and volunteer, Annie Beattie, when the duo created an activity that is engaging, sensory, educational and very much in demand by Mackay residents at Iona.

Stephenie says, “Michelle is the Mackay Unit activities coordinator and both her and Annie have led this project, encouraging residents living with dementia to do something they love - gardening and growing food!”

“The project started 12 months ago and it’s a wonderful way for Mackay residents to get outside, do something many of them used to do when they lived in their own homes, raising their families,” says Michelle.

“They’re not only growing food, they’re also eating it and they love it and we can thank local family business, Statement Trees, for donating our first supply of vegetable plants.”

Research has shown that sensory experiences help relax people with dementia, it can increase levels of concentration and cognitive function and people can feel content with the opportunity to recall past experiences and happy memories.

“Not only are there many benefits for our residents, it’s also a sustainable activity and this is just the beginning!”

The team has grown to include two more volunteers, Carolyn Lister and Janet Andrews, and plans are afoot to expand the enterprise by building a tunnel house for growing a variety of foods including lettuces, brassica vegetables, flowers and seedlings.

To do this, the team are raising funds by holding market days at Iona, selling a range of produce, including baked goods, preserves, hot soup, bulbs and seeds.

Mackay residents bagged up and sold daffodil bulbs and sweet pea seeds, counting them was an activity in itself. They also filled and sold bags of potpourri and lavender.

Not only were they contributing to the fundraiser, the activity itself was educational, needing a level of concentration and aptitude.

“Everything that we’ve been doing together has an element of engagement that helps stimulate the residents. Whether that’s counting daffodil bulbs or harvesting some vegetables from the garden, the benefits for our residents are immense.”

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