dementia_garden

I”m always on the lookout for gardens designed for the elderly, ailing or dementia-bound.

I recently found an example that was on display at the 2008 Chelsea  Flower Show in London. Created by Cleve West, the garden was sponsored by Bupa, a large U.K. health provider that runs nursing homes.

The design was created for a small courtyard that might be seen in many urban or suburban nursing homes. Space is minimal, so the designer creatively found ways to cram as many flowering trees and bushes into the space as possible. A winding 8-pattern leads patients around the garden; there are plenty of benches available for those who need to rest their legs as they enjoy a safe fountain. Bamboo, allium, tulips are installed at varying heights to bring more depth and visual excitement.

An invite: please send me any examples of healing gardens you have seen at care facilities or caregiver homes! This burgeoning movement of healing horticulture needs to be recognized and celebrated.

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The Practice of Listening

December 4, 2009

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Listen as though your life depended on it. It does.
– The Art of Pilgrimage

Listening has become a skill to practice, rehearse and commit to.

Much like the art of meditation and contemplation, listening does not come easily. I’m talking about true listening, where one person does not engage in lecturing, patronizing or power plays. It’s deep listening, when you pause to be quiet as a Beloved One speaks. No interjections. No mulling what you will be saying next.

Kay Lindahl, who wrote the book “The Sacred Art of Listening,” has a list of tips for the art of listening on her site. She explains:

Listening to another with rapt attention may be the greatest gift we give to each other. When two people listen deeply to one another, we sense that we are present not only to each other, but also to something beyond our individual selves, something spiritual, holy, or sacred.


National Public Radio also celebrated the act of listening on Nov. 27 (the day after Thanksgiving) this year, by encouraging listeners to sit down with a family member and recording their memories. The day was created as part of the StoryCorps project, where family members interview each other. You might have heard StoryCorps segments on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Make a yearly tradition of listening to and preserving a loved one’s story. The stories you collect will become treasured keepsakes that grow more valuable with each passing generation.

The National Day of Listening seeks to re-create the oral traditions of our ancestors — where family stories are handed down from elders to children. The tradition incorporates both the act of storytelling and the act of listening. Personally, I regret not recording or writing down the stories of some of my elders.

Consider celebrating the  National Day of Listening by sitting down with your Beloved One and asking for a recitation of a favorite family story. Thanks to the technology of cell phones and computers, it’s fairly easy to set up a microphone for recording the story, (see the National Day of Listening site for tips) then editing the file to share with other family members.

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The Art of the Community

November 12, 2009

Caregivers often have to form ad-hoc communities — or support circles — around them. We assemble these communities out of relatives, friends, prayer groups, health care and social workers. Everyone contributes what they can — and become a means of support and inspiration for us.
I’ve thought a lot about communities lately — and why some [...]

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Oct. 10 is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

October 9, 2009

What is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day?
Honor the caregivers who work in the field of hospices and palliative care on Oct. 10. The day’s theme is: “Discovering your voice”.
As the organizers explain:

All around the world, there are people who need hospice and palliative care who cannot access it. One of the major barriers [...]

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Fellow Caregiving Blogs

October 6, 2009

I’ve found a wealth of other caregivers on the Internet. These sister caregivers (and brothers, too) rely on each other for advice, consolation and venting. I’d like to give a shoutout to my brethren of caregivers on the Internet…and point you to some of their bright corners of wisdom!
I’m a big fan of blogs on [...]

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Art and Alzheimer’s

September 17, 2009

USA Today mentioned today how several Phoenix arts organizations have banded together to bring the arts to dementia families.
The news caught my eye because I live in the Phoenix area. Here, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute joined with the Phoenix Symphony, the Phoenix Art Museum, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art two years ago, inviting [...]

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Is it MomJunk? Or MomTreasure?

August 26, 2009

I recently posted an entry on Blogher about dealing with moving an Elder…and what you do with all that stuff! Check it out.

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Support Your Local Artisans

August 20, 2009

On a recent visit to Albuquerque, NM, I stopped by Old Towne. In a tiny shop in one of the adjacent courtyards, I met Lesley Miller and checked out her fiber goodies. She co-owns the Fiber Chicks shop, and was happy to show me the lovely skeins of wool, silk and linen. One full wall [...]

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Creative Travel Ideas

August 16, 2009

Recently, I went on a day trip to lovely Sante Fe with a relative.
We took the Rail Runner from Albuquerque to Sante Fe, which was celebrating Spanish Day (or the Hispanic Market), a celebration of Hispanic artistry. The plaza was packed with vendors and the streets were clogged with tourists. The train station was a [...]

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We Are Spider Women

August 14, 2009

According to the Hopi, the Goddess Spider Woman taught their people to spin and weave. She is the goddess who spins the life-giving rain clouds; she made the moon out of cotton. When the people practice the craft of weaving, the Hopi people re-create the Spider Woman’s mission. As they weave in sacred symbols in [...]

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