A first for the Douglas Institute

A garden unlike any other in the province was inaugurated as patients of the Moe Levin Day Centre thanked the three Iannicelli children (Caroline, Vincent and Samuel) and their parents (Joseph and Mary) for their remarkable generosity. The Iannicelli Healing Garden was donated by the family to offer patients of Douglas’ Moe Levin Day Centre a therapeutic and healing sanctuary.

This garden model will certainly be replicated in other Canadian centres offering day programmes to people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive deficits. Among the 60+ guests were: patients of the Moe Levin Day Centre, patients of the Douglas Memory Clinic, doctors, researchers, staff and board members from the Foundation, Institute and Research Centre.

The garden was created to provide a stimulating, peaceful and safe environment for the patients of the Moe Levin Day Centre. What has made this garden really special and unique is the patients were engaged in every step of the planning and the execution. According to Lisa O`Reilly B.A., Leisure Technican, Moe Levin Day Centre,




“It was such a pleasure and an honour to work with the Iannicelli Family. Genuine is the word that best describes the family. I know that they donated this money from their heart. They really understood the objectives of the garden and listened to not only what we thought it needed in order to benefit each and every patient, but they also listened directly to our patients. The Iannicelli family are so human, and they gave us the opportunity to realize our goal for this garden. We are so thankful.”

Research has shown conclusively that a carefully-planned garden has a clearly beneficial and calming effect on the behaviour of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and various other forms of dementia. The benefits also extend to elderly patients suffering from other mental illnesses.

People suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive deficits face many challenges as their illness progresses. In particular, they often need assistance to walk, they can be in poor or fragile health, they often have reduced visual acuity sometimes coupled with photosensitivity, tunnel vision and a loss of peripheral vision, they experience memory loss which can lead to disorientation and anxiety, and they suffer from a compulsive desire to walk.