Our wish is to develop a Therapeutic Wander Garden for the improved quality of life of the residents of the LongTerm Care Unit at the Baie Verte Peninsula Health Centre. To our knowledge, this would be the first Therapeutic Garden of its kind in the province of Newfoundland Labrador…and hopefully not the last!
The outdoor area that we wish to develop will be more than just a garden; it will be a safe haven for our long term care residents and community visitors. It will truly offer therapeutic benefits to its visitors, providing a safe outdoor environment and reducing many of the negative behavioral aspects associated with wandering, especially for residents living with varying forms and degrees of dementia.
The wander garden will be a fully fenced area connected from the residents’ lounge, within our long term care unit, to an open courtyard with direct access to and from the lounge. The eight foot fence will be camouflaged by shrubs and trees to divert the residents’ eyes from focusing on what lies outside the Wander Garden and to minimize the residents’ feelings of confinement. The garden surfaces will be level to minimize fall risk, with walkways that promote strolling. Walkways will also have a safe and easy surface for residents in wheelchairs or using walkers. Appropriate nontoxic plants will provide a therapeutic, tactile environment. Benches and appropriate seating will be interspersed throughout.
The Wander Garden will allow residents to wander freely and safely from our long term care facility to the open space. This level of “freedom” to wander from inside to outside will play a significant role in decreasing aggression and frustration. We believe that the wander garden will significantly reduce the use of pharmacological agents, decreasing falls and fractures and providing enhanced services for the steadily aging population suffering from dementias.
A beautiful and safe Wander Garden will be a valuable enhancement for our entire region. It will enable visitors, relatives, friends, children, staff and the community as a whole to play a role in the health and well being of our long term care residents and seniors.
Most importantly, the overall milieu of the Baie Verte Peninsula long term care unit will be one of enriched quality of life for residents, the surrounding communities, and healthcare staff. As Newfoundlanders and Labradorians we have a strong connection to the outdoors which is well known to our fellow Canadians. Making the outdoors a continued part of an individual’s life through their very senior years can bring a measure of peace and contentment, evoking memories of childhood days and happy times.
This project will cost an estimated $100,000 to complete.
The future site of the Wander Garden at the Baie Verte Peninsula Health Centre.
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