(Malvern, PA, April 22, 2015) – The Horticultural Therapy Program at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital (BMRH), part of Main Line Health, is preparing for their spring produce donation season while allowing patients to successfully achieve their rehab goals through gardening.
“Our horticultural therapy program gives patients the opportunity to contribute to their recovery in a natural, calming environment,” explains Pam Young, who oversees the Horticultural Therapy Program and Sydney Thayer III Horticultural Center at Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital. “This program not only provides physical and cognitive benefits to the patients, but it helps those in our community who are in need of fresh produce.”
Each spring, BMRH’s Horticultural Therapy program donates seedlings and seeds for planting to their partner organizations in the community, including the Urban Tree Connection, the Chester County Food Bank and the Home of the Sparrow.
“Our community partnerships truly involve the work and the therapy goals of each patient involved in the program,” adds Young. “Through the process, the patients’ physical and cognitive therapy goals are met through sowing the seeds, planting the seedlings in the garden, and harvesting and weighing the produce, as well as the organizing and arranging of the donations to each location.”
Although patients may appreciate the unique environment of horticultural therapy and a ‘break’ from the gym or therapy classroom, time spent in the garden or greenhouse isn’t an interruption of a patient’s treatment; it’s a supplement to their treatment. Horticultural therapy allows patients to continue working on their rehabilitation goals in a one-on-one or group setting. By taking part in interactive activities like planting seeds and watering or repotting plants, patients improve their mobility, balance, endurance, memory, and social skills.
“Getting back to nature is key to a patient’s recovery. It provides a healing environment that our patients are drawn to and connect with,” says Young. “In addition to being physically and cognitively beneficial, many patients also say that horticultural therapy is spiritually and emotionally rewarding when they get the chance to see people in the community benefit from the fresh produce that is provided to them.”
Although horticultural therapy has become popular in recent years, it is not offered at all physical rehabilitation centers. Young, who has seen firsthand the benefits it offers her patients, urges individuals and families to do their research when choosing a rehab center. To learn more about the Horticultural Therapy Program at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, visitmainlinehealth.org/Rehab.
About Our Community Partners
The Urban Tree Connection is an organization in Philadelphia that assists low-income, urban communities in revitalizing their neighborhoods by transforming abandoned open land into community-driven greening and gardening spaces. The Chester County Food Bank collects, grows, purchases, processes, stores and distributes food to those who serve the hungry of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Home of the Sparrow is an organization that provides housing and supportive services to homeless and low-income women who want to improve their lives and become self-sufficient.
About Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital
Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, a member of Main Line Health, is a leader in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. As a 148-bed, not-for-profit hospital, Bryn Mawr Rehab offers the full continuum of rehabilitation services, including acute inpatient care, as well as outpatient services for adults and adolescents. The range of illnesses and injuries treated at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital includes traumatic, mild traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury, stroke and other neurological disorders, spinal cord injury and amputee and orthopedic injuries and illnesses. In addition, the Main Line Health Outpatient Rehab Network provides rehabilitation services at convenient locations in Philadelphia’s western suburbs for patients of all ages. The Hospital has also achieved Magnet® designation, the nation’s highest distinction for excellence in nursing care. For more information about Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, visit mainlinehealth.org/rehab.
