Green Fingers at Ratheane
5th September 2017
Residents take on gardening to add to their skill list!
Our residents are very green fingered at Ratheane Nursing Home; they have started a fantastic project that saw them taking part in seed planting. All plants & flowers have been hand sewn by our residents inside to allow germination and then proudly brought into the garden to grow and flourish in the summer sun. One resident Tom said, “I love sitting outside admiring our hard work sprouting and growing, it gives us all a relaxing place to sit think about fond memories of the past or a chance to create more fond memories with fellow friends”.
We even have our very own ‘head gardener’ Willie Hutchison who has years of experience and knowledge on flowers, he can even tell the type of flower just by examining the seed, impressive! He is passing on the fruits of his wisdom to everyone and encouraging them all to learn more about the wonderful plant world. Evelyn Joyce, Activities Therapist, often takes residents on wheelchair walks to see the lovely gardens around Mountsandel to enjoy the beautiful flowers and scenery which they love.
Our residents are our priority, and getting them involved in gardening awakens their connection with nature and with one another. Not only does it stimulate their senses but it brings them closer to the natural world. Horticulture has restorative attributes especially for those with dementia so we encourage it as often as we can as it makes them happy. It is our mission to be a forward thinking provider who looks after people really well and after all, if our residents are happy – we’re happy.