A sensory garden is being created for residents in the garden of the Oberhessisches Diakoniezentrum retirement and care home in Laubach. Stadtwerke Giessen (SWG) is supporting this project with one of its 75 good deeds: it is donating six climbing hydrangeas to green a large section of fence, as well as some gardening tools that so-called bed sponsors will use to maintain the garden in future. "Nature conveys a sense of safety and security," explains Veronika Funk from the Customer Services department at SWG, the sponsor of this good deed. "That's why old and sick people feel very comfortable in sensory gardens and why it was particularly important to us to support this project."
Donations and the efforts of volunteers made the construction of the sensory garden possible. In June of this year, volunteers created more beds and built a water feature, completing the rough work. Now the finishing touches are being added with special scented and useful plants as well as special design elements. These include, for example, tactile panels or sound objects that support the therapeutic effect of the garden because they appeal to all five senses and help to positively influence the course of dementia. After all, nature gives the patients a feeling of safety and security, which is further supported by the loop paths, as they allow visitors to return to the starting point again and again.
On 24 July, SWG sponsor Veronika Funk presented Christel Bielski-Peppe, head of nursing services at the retirement and care home, and Gabi Schäfer-Klaus, the facility's volunteer coordinator, with a symbolic cheque for the planting of the beds. "The fact that we can manage a project like this with donations and volunteers alone makes us very happy," said Gabi Schäfer-Klaus at the cheque presentation. "We would like to thank SWG for their support."