Gartentherapie-Workshops für Menschen mit Vergesslichkeit

As part of the LUGA, the Info-Zenter Demenz is focusing on the topic of ‘Green Care’ and offering nature events for people with dementia and their relatives/carers. The garden therapy workshops are offered as interactive events that actively involve the participants. The workshops are designed in such a way that all three fields of action (see below) and effects of horticultural therapy are addressed and practised.

In creative and meaningful programmes, we experience the effects of garden therapy together.

We practise, work and garden together with plants and natural materials

Not forgetting the joy and fun of getting active together. The workshops also offer a platform for exchange and support among each other and promote networking. These workshops are offered by a professional German-speaking garden therapist with a special focus on the needs of people with dementia. They will take place outside in the park of Luxembourg City, behind Villa Vauban (in the Culture Hub) (in case of heavy rain or heat under a tent) and will last 90 minutes each (approx. 2 hours with reception and refreshments).

Ideal group size: 10-12 people with dementia and companions.

The workshops cover different topics according to the seasons: „Blumen, Blüten und wilde Kräuter“ in May „Von der Wiese zum Heu“ in June „Den Garten riechen, schmecken und fühlen“ in September

Registration: www.demenz.lu/de/actualites/luga/

The garden therapy workshops are held in German, are suitable for people with limited mobility and are free of charge. They are organised by Info-Zenter Demenz with the support of the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees.

Why nature events for people with dementia and their relatives/carers? Contact with nature improves quality of life and joie de vivre − and not just for people with dementia. Scientific studies prove how beneficial nature is. We don’t have to live in the middle of a forest, often the view of meadows and trees instead of houses or roads is enough. A walk in nature has a positive effect on our heart rhythm and blood pressure and strengthens the immune system. Working with natural materials and in the garden is good for our health, and the peace and quiet of nature is relaxing. Nature is simply good for people. Green Care stands for activities and interactions between people, animals and nature, which − depending on the target group − pursue health-promoting, educational or social goals.

What is garden therapy? Is looking out of the window into the greenery already therapy or cleaning out a rose? Cleaning out a rose can be an act of horticultural therapy. This is because processes are specifically set in motion in order to achieve desired and defined therapeutic goals. The therapeutic goal, such as the promotion of fine motor skills, can be the basis for cleaning out the rose. The primary goal of horticultural therapy understood in this way is experiential activation. This means that situations are created that enable people to develop solutions or skills or to learn new content. The aim is to strengthen their ability to cope in everyday situations. Particularly with regard to people with dementia, it is the experience of their own physical, mental and psychological abilities that leads to a reduction in anxiety and an increased sense of self-efficacy. The personal experience in and with nature opens up space for thoughts and feelings.

Discussions about nature and plants often naturally lead to conversations about one’s own life, about relationships with other people and with nature. The sight of colourful blossoms, the smell of ripe fruit and the feel of fine earth create sensory stimuli that awaken memories long thought forgotten. The shared interaction with nature also offers the opportunity to exchange knowledge that has been preserved, for example about the cultivation of fruit and vegetables or the preparation of harvested produce.

The fields and effects of horticultural therapy

1. Physical effects:
– More physical activity; rehabilitation and promotion of motor functions and skills; training of movement and action sequences
– Increased sensory perception
– Better quality of sleep

2. Psychological effects:
– Improvement in cognition, perception, creativity and temporal and spatial orientation, as well as communication skills
– Emotional stability and flexibility; higher frustration tolerance
– Better self-assessment and assessment by others, greater sense of purpose, self-worth and quality of life,
– Stress reduction and improvement in subjective well-being

3. Social effects:
– Social contacts: Interaction/identification with a group and the environment
– Maintaining, restoring and strengthening psychosocial health

Horticultural therapy measures offer a wide range of low-threshold to challenging activities that can be carried out in groups or with individuals. Simple, largely self-explanatory activities that do not require much explanation are particularly helpful and supportive for people with dementia. It is important that the activities are adapted to the abilities of the participants and tailored to their needs.

The garden therapy workshops are led by Ulrike Kreuer who has been planning and developing therapeutically effective gardens for and with senior citizens for more than 20 years and is a lecturer for garden therapy training courses, including for the ‘Internationale Gesellschaft für Gartentherapie e.V. IGGT’, among others. In 2020, she published her book ‘Gartengestaltung für Menschen mit Demenz’ (Garden Design for People with Dementia) with Haupt Verlag, and her second book ‘Das Gartenjahr für Menschen mit Demenz’ (The Garden Year for People with Dementia) was published by Ernst Reinhardt Verlag in spring 2022.

Dates and times:
15 May 2025 – 10:00-12:00
15 May 2025 – 14:30-16:30
16 May 2025 – 10:00-12:00
16 May 2025 – 14:30-16:30
26 June 2025 – 10:00-12:00
26 June 2025 – 14:30-16:30
27 June 2025 – 10:00-12:00
27 June 2025 – 14:30-16:30
18 September 2025 – 10:00-12:00
19 September 2025 – 10:00-12:00
19 September 2025 – 14:30-16:30

Venue: Municipal park Edouard André
Price: Free of charge
Registration: www.demenz.lu/de/actualites/luga/