MERTOME aged care and retirement village residents have improved their health and well-being thanks to a new sensory garden.
The Bayswater village, run by aged care providers Hall & Prior, recently installed the garden around a central courtyard and launched a Memory Support Unit.
The garden features the five senses; sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
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READ NOWIt also has raised garden beds which are accessible for residents in wheelchairs or with limited mobility.
Landscape supervisor Josh Petrusma said the garden had plants and flowers with colour and texture as well as wind chimes and a misting kit to make extra noise.
Senior occupational therapist Madelyne Glover said outdoor areas were calming places for residents to spend their time.
“This new outdoor space will make a significant impact on our residents’ independence, health and well-being,” she said.
“Many people living at Mertome would have had their own garden previously, so being outdoors in a familiar space provides both memory prompts and sensory stimulation.”