Growing Support

NAME:
Dale Cranshaw, Director

ORGANISATION:
Growing Support CIC

DIFFICULTY ENCOUNTERED:
Primarily we work with older people and people with dementia in their own care home gardens. Many of the residents we support in our social and therapeutic gardening sessions find it difficult to handle and lift traditional gardening tools due to the tools weight and their poor grip. Poor flexibility and mobility leads to reduced movement and greater likelihood of falls and injury; a third of over 65 year olds fall each year.

PRODUCTS TRIED:
Easi-Grip Garden tools, Long Reach Garden Tools and Arm Support Cuff

RESULTS:
Peta’s tools are relatively light-weight and are very easy to grip which facilitates much greater involvement in gardening activities of all kinds. Peta’s long reach tools in particular allow the care home residents who are in wheelchairs or are unsteady on their feet to take part in ground level activities which would otherwise be inaccessible to them. This facilitates the mobilisation of various muscle groups, and helps to maintain muscle tone and hand to eye coordination.

“At Growing Support, we use Peta’s Easi-Grip and Long Reach garden tools regularly at our social and therapeutic gardening sessions. Peta’s tools allow us to help older people and people with dementia to take part in a meaningful activity in their gardens, gain a sense of achievement and wellbeing.”