Cultivating Confidence: Empowering Carers to Deliver Therapeutic Home Gardening Sessions
Parallel 6
18 November, 2026 3:30 – 4:40 pmCultivating Connections: Nature, Sports and Therapeutic Activity
Jack Pickford-Brake
Founder of Dig for Dementia & University Lecturer
With 15 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, Jack’s passion for dementia care was forged on the front lines of community nursing in Wiltshire. Today, he balances his role as a University Lecturer in Adult Nursing with a mission to bring the healing power of nature to those who need it most.
Jack is a firm believer in the science of “green care.” Having witnessed first-hand how nature enriches lives—a fact backed by extensive research—he is dedicated to making therapeutic horticulture accessible for people living with dementia.
Jane Ward:
Founder of Dementia Friendly Hampshire
Originally training and working as an Engineer, Jane experienced a profound career shift after spending several years caring for her mother, who lived with Vascular Dementia. This deeply personal experience sparked a lifelong dedication to improving the lives of those affected by the condition.
Jane initially stepped into the sector by contributing to vital dementia research through the Alzheimer’s Society Research Network. Today, she remains heavily embedded in the research community, serving on several patient and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) groups, and acting as a Co-applicant on a wide array of prominent dementia studies.
Driven by a passion for community-level change, Jane became a key figure in the local Dementia Friendly Communities pilot project in Hampshire. Recognising the ongoing need for these initiatives, she went on to found the charity Dementia Friendly Hampshire (DFH) to sustain and expand this vital work. Under her leadership, DFH has increasingly focused on creating meaningful opportunities for people affected by dementia to remain physically active and deeply connected to nature. The charity successfully champions this through a variety of outdoor initiatives, including tailored gardening, accessible cycling, sailing, and walking sessions.
In addition to her grassroots charity work, Jane brings her extensive strategic insight and lived experience to her role as a Director of Dementia Community.
Jane Ward
Charity Lead
Dementia Friendly Hampshire
Jane Ward:
Founder of Dementia Friendly Hampshire
Originally training and working as an Engineer, Jane experienced a profound career shift after spending several years caring for her mother, who lived with Vascular Dementia. This deeply personal experience sparked a lifelong dedication to improving the lives of those affected by the condition.
Jane initially stepped into the sector by contributing to vital dementia research through the Alzheimer’s Society Research Network. Today, she remains heavily embedded in the research community, serving on several patient and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) groups, and acting as a Co-applicant on a wide array of prominent dementia studies.
Driven by a passion for community-level change, Jane became a key figure in the local Dementia Friendly Communities pilot project in Hampshire. Recognising the ongoing need for these initiatives, she went on to found the charity Dementia Friendly Hampshire (DFH) to sustain and expand this vital work. Under her leadership, DFH has increasingly focused on creating meaningful opportunities for people affected by dementia to remain physically active and deeply connected to nature. The charity successfully champions this through a variety of outdoor initiatives, including tailored gardening, accessible cycling, sailing, and walking sessions.
In addition to her grassroots charity work, Jane brings her extensive strategic insight and lived experience to her role as a Director of Dementia Community.
Summary
Gardening is a highly effective, therapeutic activity for people living with dementia. It provides vital sensory stimulation, triggers long-term memories, and encourages gentle physical exercise. Potting, planting, and interacting with nature can reduce agitation and promote relaxation. It also provides a meaningful sense of daily purpose; in 2024, according to a survey from the Horticultural Traders Association, nearly six in ten UK adults (55%) said that they participate in gardening as a hobby. As we age interest in gardening generally increases with nearly half (47%) of over-55s regularly gardening and 76% enjoying gardening in their free time. For over 75s, this increases to 87% who enjoy gardening on at least an occasional basis.
Although gardening sessions do feature as part of scheduled activity sessions in care homes and there are many community gardens offering sessions for people with dementia, a lot of family carers and domiciliary carers avoid gardening with those they carer for due to concerns over risk and a lack of confidence in setting up sessions. They may also struggle to motivate their loved one to engage with activities.
This session aims to provide the tools and understanding needed for these carers to feel confident in setting up and running gardening sessions within home settings. We will explore risk assessments for the session environment and activities including a dynamic assessment to be used at the beginning of each session. We will consider equipment and adaptations which can be made to various activities and include some ideas for ways to introduce novel ideas and to overcome issues with motivation.
We will discuss the changes in attitude about session outcomes required when leading a gardening session for people with dementia.