Printer-friendly version: Click Here
Want to Keep Your Brain Young? Go Green!
Cambridge Enhanced Senior Living and Eldergrow Bring Nature Indoors
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (Nov. 15, 2022) – Cultivating a “green thumb” is a simple and effective way to keep the brain sharp and reduce the risk of dementia in seniors, according to an important scientific study. As such, Cambridge Enhanced Senior Living launched a gardening program designed to engage residents in a new, fun activity that promotes healthy living and socialization.
Cambridge partnered with Seattle-based Eldergrow to bring the company’s D-I-Y Culinary Herb Garden program to the community. “We are quite literally bringing the outdoors inside for our residents,” explains Kathy Leypoldt, executive director at Cambridge. “Our residents can nurture a lush and fragrant indoor herb garden from the safety of our beautiful community.”
The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Health, revealed daily gardening may reduce the risk of dementia by up to 36%. Additionally, scientists reported planting and cultivating a garden can “improve brain nerve growth factors related to memory, and can improve functioning in the hippocampus, which is critical for memory, and cortical regions of the brain.”
But Wait, There’s More!
Indeed, gardening offers a definite brain boost. However, there are significant positive mental and physical health benefits associated with getting your hands dirty in the soil. Therapeutic horticulture, as it’s referred to by Eldergrow, reduces depression and improves balance, as well.
Cambridge will maintain its garden and therapeutic program through Eldergrow’s Herb-of-the-Month program. The communities will receive fresh herb deliveries and curriculum for residents to follow every month. There will also be ongoing cooking and herb activity demos for residents to watch and enjoy.
Further, Cambridge Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, the continuing care campus’ skilled nursing component, will also participate in the partnership via Eldergrow’s Therapeutic Garden program.
“We are excited to start our new partnership with Cambridge,” says Eldergrow’s CEO and founder Orla Concannon. “This is easily a reflection of the innovative wellness activities Cambridge provides to its residents. If you have a healthy garden, you have a healthy community.”
###
About Cambridge Enhanced Senior Living
At Cambridge Enhanced Senior Living in Moorestown, N.J., residents can enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle with everything they need on campus. With beautifully appointed apartments, gourmet dining, onsite rehab care, and an engaging mix of programming and activities, residents have access to the services they need, when they need them. Experience this charming community by scheduling a visit and tour. Call 856-235-1214 or visit cambridgeenhancedliving.com for more information.
About Eldergrow
Eldergrow, a Seattle-based company, brings nature indoors to elders living in senior living through therapeutic gardening programs. Founded in 2015 by Orla Concannon, Eldergrow offers innovative indoor programs and activity kits. The DIY Culinary Herb Garden is designed for assisted and independent living settings and is complemented by an ‘Around-the-World’ Herb of the Month program. The Therapeutic Horticulture Garden program is a hands-on wellness program facilitated by in-person educators who teach therapeutic gardening classes and provide garden maintenance for memory and skilled care settings. Each of the programs is centered around indoor, mobile gardens which are handcrafted in Washington by veterans and adults living with disabilities. For more information, visit Eldergrow.org.
Media Contacts:
Cambridge Enhanced Senior Living – Bari Siegel, Caryl Communications, 201-796-7788, bari@caryl.com
Eldergrow – Sarah Dirckx, Eldergrow Marketing Manager, 909-667-9102, Sarah.Dirckx@Eldergrow.org