Students to create sensory garden

EIGHT occupational therapy (OT) students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, have taken the initiative to go above and beyond their recent practical placement responsibilities.

The group of passionate third-year-students are planning to create a sensory garden for the patients at the Hillcrest Hospital, while they are obtaining the practical experience they need to complete their studies.

“The aim is to create a beautiful environment at the hospital by planting low maintenance plants, such as herbs and flowers that will stimulate the patients through colours, textures and smells and subsequently improve their quality of life,” said Ashley McMullen, an OT student.

McMullen and the other students also want to form a gardening group among the patients, so that the patients can meet on a weekly basis to maintain and further develop the garden. “It will act at a leisure activity to occupy the patients, and also give them a sense of pride during their treatment,” said McMullen.

Occupational therapists often treat patients who suffer from physical, mental or developmental conditions, who are unable to perform important daily activities. Through various interventions, such as skills development, education, modification of the activities or the adaptation the environment, the occupational therapists can increase the patients’ ability to perform the activities and therefore optimise and improve their quality of life.

The students implore organisations or individuals to assist them with their  project. “Seeds, seedlings, hand tools (spades, gloves and rakes), wheelchair-friendly tables, roof sheeting to repair the shed and decorative pebbles are some of the items that we need,” said McMullen.

The assistance of volunteers, landscape artists and an irrigation specialist would also be welcomed. The students will tackle the project on Friday 9 May from 8am to 11.30am.

Contact Ashley on ashmac333@hotmail.com or Helen on melfitschen@gmail.com.