Tongyeong City Dementia Relief Center, First Harvest of 'Healing Garden' Crops with Dementia Elderly

Employees of the Dementia Safety Center in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongnam, and elderly dementia patients are harvesting crops from the healing garden they cultivated together. [Image source=Tongyeong-si]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] The Dementia Relief Center in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongnam announced on the 10th that on the 8th and 9th, elderly participants with mild dementia harvested crops from an outdoor garden rest area for the first time as part of a healing program.

Since March, the center has created a 35-pyeong garden on unused land behind the center, planting and cultivating about 10 types of crops including potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, lettuce, watermelons, and chamoe, conducting programs aimed at activating cognitive functions through the five senses and alleviating depression.

The elderly recalled memories of farming in their youth as they harvested the carefully tended crops, planting seedlings, watching leaves and flowers bloom, and fruits form. They also improved their self-esteem by teaching center staff how to cultivate the crops.

One elderly participant in the program said, “Thinking about planting seeds with my own hands and harvesting potatoes to eat and talk with my family makes me feel prouder and that it will taste better.”

The director of the Tongyeong Dementia Relief Center said, “We will continue to operate various programs such as crop cultivation and horticulture to help recover and heal the hearts of dementia patients exhausted by COVID-19.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.