As the population ages, neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease are becoming more common, bringing memory loss, difficulty relating to others, disorientation in time and space, and behavioural changes. As the share of people over 80 keeps growing, so does the demand for genuine long-term care for people living with dementia.
People living with dementia are at real risk of social isolation, inactivity and a gradual loss of the independence they still have. Reducing agitation and anxiety, keeping whatever cognitive and motor abilities remain, strengthening relationships with family and staff, and offering a genuinely humane living environment all matter, and all need deliberate, structured support to happen.
The project
Il Giardino Sensoriale offers residents a mix of cognitive stimulation and reminiscence therapy, using images, stories and objects from the past to draw out autobiographical memory, alongside assisted movement: guided walks, balance and coordination exercises, and gentle group gymnastics. Occupational therapy through plant care and assisted gardening, and music therapy, round out the programme, with regular moments built in for residents to connect with families, volunteers and the wider community.
The aim is to reduce agitation, disorganised wandering and isolation, keep residents' remaining motor and relational abilities active, and increase real opportunities for socialisation. Beyond its direct benefits, the project also builds staff's professional skills, and is designed as a stable, replicable space that other centres within the wider Fondazione Don Gnocchi network could adopt too.
Who the project is for
The project's direct beneficiaries are 126 elderly residents of the Centro Girola, taking part in the outdoor therapeutic activities: 20 residents from the Alzheimer's unit and 106 residents of the wider care home.
Its impact reaches further, to around 200 family members and caregivers, and to the wider community around the centre.
Project name: Il Giardino Sensoriale: percorsi di cura e relazione per anziani con Alzheimer
Proposing organisation: Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ETS
Area of intervention: Health & Welfare
Country: Italy