Senior program in Lakewood Ranch grows memories

Ninety-one-year-old Mary Sue Hudgens watched as Bob Barton, 83, measured the height of a 3.5-inch tall marigold.

In a pot nearby, she spotted a plant with deep green leaves and a waxy pink flower.

“I know what this one is,” she said to 91-year-old Wertie Gibson, who stood beside her. “It’s a begonia. I have begonias at home. Well, I used to have begonias at home.”

Hudgens pointed next to a label by the plant that read “begonia” and proved she was right. She chuckled.

Hudgens and other residents of the Windsor Reflections Memory Care of Lakewood Ranch are some of the first in Florida to participate in a program aimed at improving the quality of life for seniors in senior living facilities. It’s called Eldergrow, and it started nearly two years ago in Seattle by Orla Concannon, who wanted to bring the awe of nature to seniors.

The program brings a garden into senior living facilities and couples it with a horticulture program in which residents tend to the garden and engage in horticulture-related programs in group settings. The garden is in a planter on wheels. It uses grow lights for sunlight.

“With the aging demographic in Florida, it makes perfect sense,” Concannon said of the program’s expansion into Florida. “It also makes sense with the heat in the summertime, it’s not viable to go outside and garden. Some of these communities have beautiful courtyards that are enclosed and safe, but you can’t really go outside because of challenges around the heat.”

Windsor Reflections opened its mobile garden July 12 and has had two horticulture classes since. Already, participants are seeing the benefits — socializing with one another, swapping stories, keeping focused and testing their motor skills through hands-on activities.

“None of our residents are getting better, so our job is to really improve their quality of life,” Windsor Reflections health care coordinator Devin McKinnon said. “This is soothing for them. It’s horticulture therapy. It allows them to have a job here.”

McKinnon said in memory care facilities it is difficult to have residents engaged with each other or focused on a task. With the Eldergrow program, residents are focusing and sharing for about two hours at a time.

Other benefits are reduced agitation, focus and a feeling of accomplishment.

“It’s not enough for us to have a beautiful residence,” said Donna Golliher, sales director for Windsor Reflections. “We want to offer initiatives that will further stimulate our residents and get them more engaged.”

Katherine Knowles, an educator with Eldergrow, said the results at Windsor have been significant.

“They begin talking. They begin reminiscing,” she said. “We have people telling stories and interacting. That’s extraordinary.”

Eldergrow educators from across the nation engage in a monthly video chat to discuss programming, as well as ways to overcome challenges or changes needed in the program structure. They also communicate on Facebook with the same purpose.

Each Eldergrow program starts with the installation of a movable garden. At Windsor Reflections, Knowles brought in the garden structure and about 50 plants July 12 and let Windsor Reflections patients choose which plant to install. They helped dig places for each plant, plant them and then sign up to help water and care for them throughout the week between Elder Grow sessions.

During the second Eldergrow session July 27, Windsor Reflections participants planted sunflowers, which they planned to give as gifts to family members or friends.

Carol Couse, whose husband, George Couse, moved into Windsor Reflections this summer, said the Eldergrow program is exciting. George Couse always loved to be outside. When walking their dog, he would stop to pull weeds or tend to plants they passed.

“This gives him something to do, a sense of purpose,” Carol Couse said.

Wertie Gibson, who lives in the adjacent assisted-living facility, The Windsor of Lakewood Ranch, visits her husband, Don Gibson, at Windsor Reflections frequently and likes to help with programs for Reflections residents.

“He’s always interested in plants because we always had a garden and flowers at home,” Wertie Gibson said. “He always looks at the plants when he comes into the room.”