Patients in bloom at Ascension Mercy
Pulling weeds, watering the garden and picking home-grown vegetables are a regular part of everyday life for many people during the summer. For patients at Ascension Mercy, though, those tasks are helping them in their rehabilitation journey.
The inpatient rehabilitation team recently received funding to expand their outdoor gardening area, giving patients an opportunity to practice skills as they recover from strokes, surgeries or other injuries.
Jody Pomplun, an occupational therapist, sees the impact that the garden boxes have on patients both physically and mentally.
“As soon as we get outside, they go ‘ahhh,’ and simply enjoy the fresh air,” Jody said. “We always start with a walk around the pond to look for wildlife, and then get to gardening. For some people this is something they would normally do at home, so it’s great that we can offer them this resource.”
Patients help pick vegetables, pull weeds, water the plants or simply read the vegetable labels to help with speech therapy.
During a normal planting season, the boxes are overflowing with cucumbers, radishes, peppers, tomatoes and green beans. This year, though, the local deer ate a large portion of the crop, leaving peppers and tomatoes as the primary harvest. Patients can use the vegetables in their meal or take them home, and any surplus is donated to Father Carr’s.
For individuals navigating rehabilitation the garden offers more than an opportunity to get outside: it gives them a chance to continue doing something they enjoy, even if it looks a little different than before.
“Sometimes patients get scared, and may say that they’ll never be able to do this again,” said Sarah LaMarche, manager of rehabilitation services. “We show them that they can still do what they love, even if it doesn’t look the same as before.”
