Gardening is more than growing plants at this local nursing home Patients at this skilled nursing home rebuild their lives by working on a garden

It all began when a resident's son approached Administrator Barbara Jones with the idea of a raised garden with the local Pickens County Community Service Club donating supplies. The maintenance man, Scott Bruce, along with the therapy team jumped in to get the ball rolling. Once the raised beds were in place, the residents took over and the "buzz" around the quaint home was palpable.

A challenge faced in the nursing home is that no matter how well we care for our residents, no matter how passionate or interactive with their lives the staff is; the residents are always in a position of receiving and thanking others for care yet they still strive for purpose. Residents strive for a feeling of accomplishment through providing a service. That is when a garden becomes much more than plants alone, for some it is a reason to get out of bed. They toil daily on regular garden chores including watering, weeding, pruning and harvesting. The therapists love that the garden provides a dynamic environment that relates closely to real-life situations such as walking on grass, gravel and other uneven surfaces that smooth hallways cannot offer.W

hile the residents filled the raised beds with dirt, the therapists were using the task for balance challenges, education on body mechanics and fun ways to build endurance and strength.

"Sometimes the patients get bored with regular exercise programs and we are able to do the same exercise in a functional manner. They practice balance while watering the garden, gait patterns while walking on uneven terrain and a variety of motions while they harvest and pull weeds," said Lisa Glover, rehabilitation coordinator.

Although not all of the residents want to participate with the task of gardening; most everyone likes to go outside to "peek" and see how the plants are growing.

A great time to come see this unique home is during their annual Fall Festival held every September; it is a community event to raise money for the resident's Christmas. It has the "vibe" of an ole' time festival: cake walks, face painting, yard sale, raffle, silent auction and more.

Wildwood Health and Rehabilitation is located at 184 Pin Hook Road, Talking Rock, GA 30175. They can be reached at 706-692-6014.