Excerpt from article in The Wave… Jack Carman, a New Jersey State Licensed Landscape Architect, designs therapeutic outdoor environments that include JASA’s on Beach 19th Street. “Why are we denying seniors the opportunity to get outside?” was the question that inspired him to this line of his career. Hospitals, he said, are usually uncertain about bringing in a garden, “but here at JASA, it was a no-brainer.” Carman acknowledged the benefits of a community garden for seniors: reducing stress, providing a place to socialize, exercise, and Vitamin D from the sunlight that helps them sleep better. The pathway grounds are made from recycled material as well as the non-porous chairs that can be kept outdoors in any weather. “Community gardens are definitely becoming more popular,” said Carman. To view full article, click here.

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This season, allow the tables to turn and present opportunities for older adults to serve as caregivers, instead of simply care recipients. With guidance, older adults of varying abilities can once again feel the sense of purpose and confidence that accompanies doting on living things within your therapeutic garden.

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By: Eric Herr, For the Courier-Post 2:21 p.m. EDT August 19, 2016 When Jack Carman of Medford started his own business, Designs for Generations, more than 15 years ago, he did so with the intention of helping the healthcare community. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Carman, a landscape architect, worked for a local municipal engineering consulting firm. There, he realized he might make a difference by designing therapy gardens for people in hospital settings, as well as those living in assisted-living communities and even at home. MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH: Rowan-led team’s Alzheimer’s test ‘100%’ accurate “As part of my job at the consulting firm, I would often review overall site plans for various healthcare environments and I noticed that in numerous instances, the primary focus was on the internal building design, with outdoor environments being virtually ignored,” Carman explains. Seeing a void in environmental aesthetics — and with encouragement from his wife, Nancy, a geriatric care manager, Jack began to look more closely at therapeutic gardens and how they might positively affect mental behavior, especially among those suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative disorders. Carman discovered research conducted between 1972 and 1981, by an award-winning professor of architecture, Dr. Roger S. Ulrich, that supported his assumptions. Ulrich’s findings, which appeared in the April 1984 edition of The American Association for the Advancement of Science Journal, revealed some fascinating insights. Twenty-three patients in a suburban Philadelphia hospital who were recovering from gallbladder surgery were assigned rooms with windows looking out on a natural scene. These 23 patients exposed to nature had shorter post-operative hospital stays, received fewer negative evaluative comments in nurses’ notes and took fewer pain-relieving medications than did 23 patients in similar rooms with windows facing a brick building wall. Encouraged by Ulrich’s study, Carman has since become a leading authority in his own right, conducting seminars, writing articles and doing a wide range of both commercial and residential landscape consulting. In an article “What Is The Evidence To Support the Use of Therapeutic Gardens for the Elderly,” published in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, Carman along with other leading experts asserted that horticulture therapy not only improved attitudes and the overall quality of life — especially among aging populations — but could also, by extension, be linked to cost savings. “Good therapy for patients and their families notwithstanding, therapy gardens also provide a welcome change of pace for doctors, nurses and other caregivers, whose jobs are both demanding and often very stressful,” observes Carman. LOCAL COLOR: August brings butterflies to gardens Perhaps no one understands that aspect better than Amy Quick, director of Virtua Health, Camden CASTLE Program. CASTLE, or Children Achieving Success through Therapeutic Life Experiences, is a Medicaid-funded initiative that provides assistance and support to children ages 3 to 15 who have behavioral and emotional issues affecting their lives at home or at school. Staffers began discussing a garden in 2013, “recognizing the need to take care of themselves, first, as a means of providing and maintaining optimum care for all our patients, whether they be in CASTLE or other departments within our healthcare center,” explains Quick. A once-neglected and overgrown 3,000-square-foot courtyard area was subsequently transformed into a vibrant natural habitat that incorporates a variety of plants and shrubs, a space for growing herbs and vegetables, plus yoga and meditation areas, walking paths constructed of recycled rubber, shaded alcoves and more. According to Quick, the initial design was simply to have the garden only for viewing, but it soon became apparent access for patient activities, family time and even staff meetings would benefit everyone. “The garden offers a soothing environment for patients and their families to enjoy and is a great stress-free place for our staff to relax and unwind,” notes Quick. Another perk is that children in the CASTLE programlearn about horticulture by actively working in and maintaining the garden. In an annual event, butterfly larvae, raised by the children, hatch and mature into butterflies that are taken out into the meditation garden and released. The final phase of another therapy garden project that Carman designed for Virtua’s Voorhees location was completed last year. Like Quick and her colleagues at Virtua Health, Lisa Heinkel, director of health services at Medford Leas Continuing Care Retirement Community, along with on-site horticulturalist Debbie Lux, use their recently completed garden for multiple purposes. “This space has literally come alive since we opened it this spring for our residents and staff,” says Heinkel, adding it’s the perfect staging area for a variety of ongoing programs and activities. Lux points out the area, which opened in May, incorporates many native plants, shrubs and trees as well asa water feature  that attracts numerous birds and butterflies. “The best part,” observes Lux, “is that when the weather gets too cold to go outside, our residents can still enjoy the view of the garden from the adjoining dining area.” Michelle Bieszczad is director of Aging Services for Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Mid-Atlantic Community, a religious order serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey and parts of New York, with administrative offices in Merion, Pennsylvania. She met Carman at a long-term care conference in Los Angeles back in the late 1990s. “Jack and his wife Nancy were conducting a workshop on creating natural outside therapeutic environments for seniors and I was immediately fascinated by the whole idea,” recalls Bieszczad, who lives in Voorhees. Bieszczad hired Carman to develop and design gardens for a nursing community in Northeast Philadelphia, where she then worked in a similar administrative capacity. Their longstanding relationship has continued, with discussions underway about a new garden at the Merion location and elsewhere to benefit those suffering from Alzheimer’s and related memory challenges. By most accounts, the size of the garden may not be as important as the design and configuration elements for practical use. “The total sensory experience is always key in designing any therapeutic garden,” explains Carman. “The scent of fresh basil, rosemary and mint, along with the wonderful fragrances of various flowers, together with the tranquil sound of wind chimes and water features, for example, can evoke fond memories for those of all ages.” Non-toxic plants, shaded areas, smooth level paths, seating and the many aspects of direct and indirect lighting are all equally important design basics to consider. If the intrinsic beauty and overall positive effect of the gardens isn’t enough incentive, there’s always the all-important bottom line. “Lets face it, budgets are tight everywhere and sometimes aesthetics such as gardens get cut,” observes Carman. “But, what’s important to understand and what research proves is that when a calm, relaxing and pleasing natural environment is created, there are significantly improved overall health outcomes, for patients and their caregivers alike. That, in turn, can translate into huge cost savings at many levels across the board.” To view the original published article, please visit The Courier Posts page at: http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/life/2016/08/19/therapeutic-gardens-healthcare-alzheimers-mental-health/88643926/

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Don’t head indoors to avoid the dog days of summer. Instead, transform your therapeutic healing garden into an inviting, cooler oasis that continues to serve as a destination for residents and families. We depend on nature to keep us cool, naturally. The sound and movement of both air and water will drive down the temperature – or the perceived temperature – in your garden, creating a refreshing space that people continue to enjoy despite the heat of the summer. The nonprofit Trees Forever captured stunning results during a 2010 temperature-measuring experiment designed to quantify the impact of trees’ shade. Program manager Meredith Borchardt explained, “The most dramatic temperature difference came from a reading taken by volunteers on top of a picnic table. The tabletop was a scorching 144 degrees in the sun, but only 89 degrees on the shaded part. That’s a whopping 55 degree temperature difference!” In addition to creating shade by blocking the sun’s rays, the trees’ leaves give off moisture, which helps to cool the air. This movement of water from plants, water bodies and soil back into the air is an important part of the water cycle called evapotranspiration. Hearing the rustling of leaves also signals the air’s movement to the brain, giving the listener the sense of feeling cooler. The sound from water features triggers the impression of feeling cooler as well, much like the sound of air movement. From the simple to the elaborate, water features could include a multi-tiered bird bath, a self-contained overflowing rock fountain or even a small waterfall that flows into a fish pond. Garden embellishments such as cabanas, ceiling fans and wind chimes can create similar effects, albeit without Mother Nature. Including softer colors in the garden, such as the pastels found in coneflowers or the contrasting greens of ornamental grasses, is another way to add to the illusion of a cooler environment. If possible, to feel refreshed we also suggest drinking a cool glass of lemonade while enjoying the dog days of summer from your therapeutic healing garden.

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Understanding the emotional and psychological benefits of healing gardens, the nursing home where Mary lived featured a beautiful, lush outdoor space filled with trees, flowers and water. Nonverbal and living with Alzheimer’s, Mary’s caregiver gently took her by the elbow to guide her outside to enjoy the spring day from the garden’s patio. Standing next to the garden’s water feature, a self-contained unit that recirculates water and is safe for residences with dementia patients, Mary turned to her caregiver after a few minutes, with a smile on her face, simply stated, “Isn’t that beautiful,” – the first words she had spoken in over a year. Quite frankly, water reaches people in ways that nature’s other elements simply cannot. We intuitively find water soothing. It reduces stress and promotes healing, both physically and psychologically. While middle aged adults seek quiet in gardens, older adults tend to respond more to stimulating environments, according to a 2009 study from Susan Rodiek of Texas A&M. Featuring water as an integral part of your therapeutic garden is one way to meet the emotional needs of these older adults. Then, they could listen to water bubbling out of a fountain or feel a cool mist from a small pond gently brush their face. More fully engaging people’s senses through the use of water helps to immerse them in their experience, allowing them to reap even more benefits from your therapeutic garden.

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