In 2021, my nursing colleagues and I were concerned about the well-being of staff and residents, due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and the restrictions enforced in care homes and other social care settings. Hence, in order to create a shared point of connection between us all, we sent sunflower seeds to the care homes for the staff and residents to plant. We then met online regularly to see the progress of their sunflowers. The residents, tenants and staff loved it.
As a result, when Queen’s Nursing Institute and the National Garden Scheme offered the Elsie Wagg Innovation Scholarship for community nurses, I applied without hesitation. I was successful. The scholarship was for nurse-led projects that demonstrated the positive impact of gardens and gardening amongst a group of people.
Our project was called Project G.A.R.D.E.N. The word GARDEN was an acronym to represent different meanings for residents, tenants, and staff. It meant Grow, Active, Recharge, Develop, Enrich and Nurture. The overall aim was to improve the psychological and physical well-being of residents and staff in social care settings in North Central London.
Aims:
- increase meaningful interaction between residents and staff
- improve moods
- increase physical activity
We worked collaboratively with social care settings and Sweet Tree Farm, a not-for-profit organisation.
Our activities:
- monthly virtual gardening sessions led by Sweet Tree Farm
- monthly virtual support sessions
- supply of gardening materials
- production of digital newsletters
- farm visits for residents and staff
- 1 to 1 personalised care planning support.
The results:
We evaluated the project using a combination of face-to-face interviews, observations, emails, photos sent by care homes and online surveys.
Our evaluation showed:
- increased meaningful interaction between residents and staff
- improved moods and increased physical activity
- increased knowledge and skills on gardening, nature and outdoor spaces for both staff and residents
- increased usage of outdoor spaces
- increased sustainability by growing their own vegetables for their kitchens
- an increased connection with their local communities
- gardening was incorporated into their day-to-day routine.
The outcomes our project achieved supports previous evidence suggesting nature-based interventions have a positive impact on our health and well-being. (National Academy for Social Prescribing 2022, Howarth, et.al 2020, Leavell et.al 2019).
Care home staff shared stories of the joy and calmness they saw in their residents’ faces when they were gardening. They also shared stories of their meaningful connection with them.
“Our relationships with residents have become stronger. We are all looking forward to doing things together.”
“The garden/gardening is a common ground, we work well, and it brings us together.”
“We share ideas and knowledge, and we are a team. When we are gardening, we are a team!”
The added benefit
We have seen residents and staff taking control of their gardens and outdoor spaces and connecting with nature for their health and well-being and planning to be more sustainable by growing their own vegetables, fruits, and herbs to be used in their kitchens.
What’s more, this project also demonstrated the positive impact of using digital technology. It helped us to deliver our gardening sessions and support to all the participating care homes. Digital technology widened our reach and staff, residents and relatives were able to attend the sessions.
Lastly, our project showed that nurses have a vital role to play in supporting individuals and the community to engage in meaningful activities, recognise their strengths and empower them to take control of their health and well-being.
