New Sensory Garden to be Developed at the Gardens at DePugh Nursing Center
The Gardens at DePugh (formerly the DePugh Nursing Center) plans to construct a Sensory Garden thanks to a recent grant of up to $75,050 from the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) awarded through the Older Adults Work Group.
The not-for-profit facility, at 550 W. Morse Boulevard in Winter Park, provides 24-hour nursing care to the chronically ill and elderly, as well as assistance for individuals recovering from strokes, cardiac and orthopedic conditions, or other illness and injuries. It has recently undergone an extensive campus makeover.
WPHF funds will be used to create a garden that stimulates the senses of touch, sight, sound, smell and taste within the large courtyard adjacent to Morse Boulevard in Winter Park.
It will include a number of other features such as pathways that are finished in various textures to enhance therapy and rehabilitation efforts, a Main Street-themed area furnished with items designed to evoke long term memories among residents who are memory impaired, a raised bed gardening area, and a summer kitchen where staff, residents and families can enjoy outdoor meals such as barbecues and ice cream socials.
Staff members plan to expand programming to make use of the new space, including a number of intergenerational activities with local students ranging from pre-school to college age.
