Tasmanian garden mates lending a hand

The Tasmanian Minister for Health and Human Services, Lara Giddings, has launched the second stage of a project designed to help the frail aged, and people with disabilities to maintain their gardens and stay independent.

She said the project being piloted in Hobart and Glenorchy was matching volunteer ‘garden mates’ with frail older people and those with declining health or disabilities.

“Garden mates work with clients to help them to manage their own gardens and remain independent,” Ms Giddings said.

“Many older people in particular, take a great deal of pride and pleasure from their gardens.

“Their gardens have often been a labour of love, built up over many years, and where they have watched not only their plants but their families grow up.

“The reality of no longer being able to maintain the garden in the condition that they are used to and being unable to afford commercial gardening services, can be a worrying and stressful time.   

“This stress can often be one of the major reasons that older people feel pressured to ‘give up’ and to leave their home and community.

“The ‘Still Gardening’ project means it does not always have to be that way.

“Through teaming up with a garden mate or peer educator, clients are helped to stay active and keep enjoying their gardens in a positive and relaxed way.”

Ms Giddings said ‘Still Gardening’ was an initiative of the Healthy Ageing Network South under the auspice of the Council on the Ageing (COTA). 

She said the project had received one-off funding of $125,000 through the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program.