Earthbox and Alzheimers ??

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, dancing lemons. This user is located in Richmond, VA Zone 7+. This was originally posted on December 5, 2007.

Hi,

Old retired nurse here.......  I know kids learn lots of things from growing plants but how about the older folks??  Anyone tried to have an EarthBox garden in an Alzheimer's facility??  Seems like it would be a great tool for those in the early to mid-stages of the condition. 

DL

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, John. This user is located in Zone 5. This was originally posted on December 5, 2007.

Hello DL,
EarthBox is indeed very popular in schools as well as senior facilities and institutions.  This is why we have an Educational Dept. at EarthBox. We offer Youth, Senior as well as Institutional Guides.  We feel that the EarthBox is a very valuable educational tool in schools as well as in senior facilities. Activity directors through out the U.S. stand by our product.  Our newest item is an EarthBox stand with wheels.  The new EarthBox stand makes it easy for seniors to continue planting and harvesting for many more years.  To learn more about the Educational EarthBox go to the EarthBox home page and click on "Educators". We offer special rates and packages for such institutions.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, dancing lemons. This user is located in Richmond, VA Zone 7+. This was originally posted on December 5, 2007.

How do I find out about the EB on wheels??  Picture?  I saw one wagon in Primos post from the Research Center in Florida but that would not be do-able for my purposes.

DL

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by The EarthBox Jr. Member, molly. This was originally posted on December 19, 2007.

Hello retiree!

I thought that I posted a response to your very appropriate reference to the EarthBox and Alzheimer patients.  In fact, it never posted, so I apologize for the delay.

Studies show that the Alzheimer patient responds well to gardening, and particularly well to the EarthBox.  Several Alzheimer units in nursing homes in the country are successfully implementing therapy programs using the EarthBox.  With the upcoming arrival of the EarthBox stand in the spring of 2008, the EarthBoxs therapeutic advantages will increase exponentially.  The disabled will have easy access and even those of us who weary when we bend will welcome this addition to the EarthBox accessories.

A 95 year old patient who visited the EarthBox Garden at Nay Aug in Scranton, PA, confined to a wheel chair. suffering from blindness, weakness and loss of hearing, delighted in the aromatic scents of all of the vegetables she encountered in the EarthBox Garden.  With her hands she felt the fruits and vegetables, identified them, and gave us their names in Polish and English!  I will never forget the joy in her face as she recounted tales of gardening from her youth in Poland and later in America. That joy of a lifetime of connectivity to her Earth belied her years, or perhaps enhanced them. I just know that it was a special moment for her and for those of us with her.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, dancing lemons. This user is located in Richmond, VA Zone 7+. This was originally posted on December 5, 2007.

Molly,

I eagerly await the release of the stand.  I hope it will be available in several configurations.  For example - a stand that holds one EB and another that will hold 2-3 ++ EBs.

Cheers,
DL

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Horticulturalist The EarthBox Hero Member, Kathy. This user is located in The mountains of PA Zone 5, almost 4. This was originally posted on December 20, 2007.

DL  We are hoping to have the stands by late January or early February.  Only one configuration, to hold one EarthBox and obviously this will be for the lower growing crops, not for the tall (top heavy) crops. Thanks for your patience.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, PrimoPepper. This user is located in Holiday, Florida - Zone 9b.

My mother in law just loves to come to our home and visit our little EB garden.  She enjoys it so much that we recently gave her 3 EBs and helped her set them up.  Two are set up with determinate tomato (inside of her Florida room now), and the other one has Garlic growing in it. (( Thanks DL !! ...    ))   My mother in law just loves garlic, as do I.

Since she has a hard time with bending over, I had to extend the length of her fill tubes on the tomato EBs and we built her a stand for the Garlic EB.

I, too will look forward to the stand(s) that EB will be offering next year...

Primo

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by The EarthBox Jr. Member, molly. This was originally posted on January 2, 2008.

Happy New Year to All!  I hope that this reply reaches those who work with Alzheimer patients because I know that the EarthBox can make both the patient and caregivers new year a more pleasant experience.

In a presentation to Pennsylvania senior activity directors from nursing homes and other facilities, the EarthBox received a warm welcome, as it has in facilities in Florida and New York  because
EarthBoxes are being used at these facilities to stimulate Alzheimer patients through sensual experiences:
 
1. herbal aromatherapy is an easy to implement interactive activity that does not require much patient participation, but relieves stress and pain.
2. Handicapped patients who are wheel chair bound are encouraged to touch the plants to activate the scents.  This is also an easy to implement activity for handicapped patients.
3. Scenting and touching herbs trigger memories from long ago and far away, memories that are the last to leave an Alzheimer patient and bring about a long awaited response that pleases both the patient and the care giver.
4. Herbal teas made from the easily propagated plant,  lemon balm, can calm the spirit and the digestive tract.  This is a pleasant participatory activity for seniors who suffer from Alzheimer's.
5. Living crops stimulate a visual response brought about by the growth of the plants, their colors and scents that is altogether a pleasant activity.
6. Caregivers like the easily accessible activities that EarthBox Gardens provide.  They, too, look forward to the time spent with patients in a pleasant environment cultivated by the EarthBox gardens.  They can also take home goodie bags of fresh herbs to season their meals!

This spring EarthBox will be selling a stand.  This stand will provide easy access to EarthBoxes for patients in wheelchairs.  Certainly, senior activity directors will laud this new accessory that will make their job easier.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, baileyj. This user is located in Zone 7A---Annapolis, Maryland. This was originally posted on November 8, 2010.

I guess I missed this original thread..thanks for bringing it up again.

It brought back such a flood of memories for me.
My first experience with earthboxs was in 2005 just following the death of my mom...my Dad who had Alzheimers lived with me following her death, but he also passed on within 6 months.  He loved working with me on the boxes as I got them started, running to the nursery, planting and each day watching how fast they grew.  What wonderful memories for me each spring as I start them up again.

I also am a nurse, although I work in acute care and bringing EBs to the hospital would not work--rehab and sub-acute care would be perfect setting to use EBs.
Thanks,
Judi

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, John. This user is located in Zone 5. This was originally posted on November 12, 2010.

Judi,
Thank you for the wonderful story about EarthBox, you, and your dad.  I'm glad our product was the "glue" in providing quality bonding time between you and your dad; leaving you with many happy and unreplaceable memories. Year after year, as you start up your EarthBoxes, smiling and recalling those great memories, I know he is smiling with you.

Did you know that we offer a Senior Garden Guide to enhance senior EarthBox gardens along with special quantity (25+) rates for senior facilities? Contact the Education Dept. at EarthBox for details.  EarthBox gardens are set-up throughout Maryland including Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The unique eco-friendly, high yield system, along with accessories, including automated watering systems and garden stands, makes EarthBox the cadillac of all container gardens!  

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Sr. Member, Wandering Rose. This was originally posted on May 29, 2012.

Judi,

I've just been browsing in this section of the forum, so although this is an old topic, I want to say how much I appreciate the story of you and your Dad sharing the gardening experience.

Because my own mom has developed a mild (for now) and as yet undiagnosed dementia, I am very interested in any research or first person experiences that will help me to ensure that she has the fullest quality of life through whatever may come. Many surprisingly, simple things have seemed to help, but then, she is also taking a prescription med for it.

I cant imagine how painful it must have been to see in both parents.

It is just wonderful to find these programs for seniors on an organized basis!

rose