Since Alive opened its dementia-friendly allotment in August, we’ve had many participants through the gates, all with their own different stories and experiences. We’ve also noticed that it serves different purposes for different people. But without exception, the overall experience for everyone – be they the participant themselves, the person who attends with them or our volunteers – appears to be beneficial.
For some of the people who attend our sessions, the benefits we observe are dramatic. Some people experience instantaneous mood changes, some physical changes, some emotional changes and all visibly relax when they’re with us. For a few of our participants, these changes are more marked than for others. This is the story of one of those people.
John had an allotment in Bristol for 20 years. Eventually, his dementia advanced to the point where he couldn’t keep up with the maintenance. An allotment is a huge commitment and labour of love, so this isn’t surprising. So John was very excited when he first heard about our allotment via a session at the Alzheimers’ Society’s Virtual Memory Cafe.
John was soon a regular at the allotment sessions, accompanied by his wife. He instantly became a hit with everyone, always with a smile on his face and a wealth of knowledge about gardening and growing your own, which he took pleasure in sharing. He was keen to help us plant things and just as eager to help others with their endeavours. He seemed to be in his element. His wife commented how it was like “having the old John back” when they were up there.
Quite often people living with dementia experience a sense of loss of control in their lives. Someone else might be cooking for them, feeding them, helping them get dressed, organising their lives. Being at the allotment gives people a chance to decide what they want to do and then do it. This appeared to be the case for John.
John was soon a regular at the allotment sessions, accompanied by his wife. He instantly became a hit with everyone, always with a smile on his face and a wealth of knowledge about gardening and growing your own, which he took pleasure in sharing. He was keen to help us plant things and just as eager to help others with their endeavours. He seemed to be in his element. His wife commented how it was like “having the old John back” when they were up there.
Quite often people living with dementia experience a sense of loss of control in their lives. Someone else might be cooking for them, feeding them, helping them get dressed, organising their lives. Being at the allotment gives people a chance to decide what they want to do and then do it. This appeared to be the case for John.