How digging the dirt can ease dementia
CATH Manuel, an experienced horticulturist, permaculturist and horticultural therapist based on the Sunshine Coast explains how her passion for gardening became a new career - introducing horticultural therapy to aged care.
MY career in horticulture began in the late 1990s when I trained as a horticulturist.
Working in the gardening and horticulture industry, I developed a personal passion for growing fresh food and enjoying it with family and friends.
This love for home-grown food expanded into helping others to improve their well-being by growing their own herbs and veggies in their backyard, community gardens or schools, so they could enjoy the healthy benefits of cooking with fresh home-grown produce.
So that's how my local business Soil To Supper came about.
Then I started noticing other therapeutic benefits of home gardening, like the calmness you get from connecting to the earth and getting your hands in the soil.
I became interested in gardening as a form of therapy.
After completing a short course in horticultural therapy in 2014, I began running a gardening program for people with dementia and saw wonderful improvements in their emotional wellbeing through regular hands-on gardening activities.
This then lead me to an organisation in the UK called Thrive, where I attended further training in gardening programs for people within aged care.
When I came back to Queensland, I began introducing horticultural therapy into aged care and respite care and over the last two years the response has been fantastic.
At the moment, my time is divided between helping locals set up their own organic gardens, consulting to aged care organisations and running horticultural therapy programs.
The interest in garden therapy has grown so much in Queensland, we are now providing training for new therapists who work or volunteer within the aged care, disability, mental health and rehabilitation industries.
And we're also taking our training, services and programs nationally.
Gardening has been used as a form of therapy for many years.
If you care for others, gardening can be a simple and effective way to enjoy nature together, have fun, grow something beautiful or tasty and add an interesting activity to everyday routines.
Horticultural therapy has many proven benefits. It's a great physical activity, encourages social interaction, improves self-esteem, is stimulating for the mind, and gets people outdoors and back in touch with nature.
Connecting with nature instantly reduces stress and anxiety and lifts the spirits.
Potting up flowers, herbs, or creating a garden, is a useful hands-on activity that produces something beautiful to enjoy or give as a gift.
And digging in the dirt can ease dementia symptoms like frustration, confusion, and anger and create a feeling of happiness, calm and usefulness.