During a normal year, the Garden Therapy Committee meets seven times; however, the 2021-2022 year was no normal year with the pandemic still looming over us. We usually begin in October, and complete the year with November and December; we begin again in February, and continue through May. We meet monthly at the Elderhaus Facility by Greenfield Lake; the residents there are adult individuals with cognitive decline and various stages of dementia. Their health status, coupled with the pandemic and residents’ confusion about masks, posed challenges for our members and their own health issues. The number of reported cases in New Hanover County was too high for us to return in the fall. After a phone conversation with the Director of the facility and the chair of this committee, it was decided to return in February of the new year. In January, these two individuals met in person and the case numbers were even higher, so, it was decided we would not return in February and March. However, we decided to plan an outdoor Easter Egg Hunt for Good Friday in April outside at Rotary Park (across the street from the facility) for the residents. With our limited budget, committee members each donated a dozen candy-filled plastic eggs and one door prize to supplement supplies for a successful hunt. Six members were present for the hunt and a total of nine donated for the cause. The weather was glorious and the residents appeared happy to participate; they all certainly remembered hunting Easter eggs in their younger days. Many residents shared that they were glad we were back! Coming off that successful event, we were determined to plant flowers in May at the facility, another outdoor event that we do every year. There is an enclosed patio with several raised beds and pots that had not been attended to since our last planting in May of 2019, due to the pandemic. Things were overgrown, unruly, and unkempt. Seven members reported on the first Monday of May with garden tools, gloves, trash bags, topsoil, and plants in tow to transform the patio space for the residents. Male residents helped to unload the car with the supplies, and those that wished to help donned gloves and assisted with the planting of the flowers. We had many beautiful spring flowers, and the chair of the committee brought 21 baby spider plants from her personal plant that were transplanted in the pots. Two big leaf bags of trash were collected and disposed of from the space. In the end, you could certainly tell the Garden Therapy Committee had made their mark that afternoon. This was a difficult year to coordinate this committee due the constraints of the pandemic. Not everyone attended the general meetings for information, and communication was difficult, but we did what we could for the residents outside of the facility and provided fresh air and sunshine for everyone.
Garden Therapy Committee at Elderhaus