Many wellness practices and activities are designed to increase positive affect (among other results), and as such we feel our wellness focus here at CCC is therefore crucial to our clients' and caregivers' health on all levels. While some folks think that wellness is just a "nice extra", studies such as the one below show how absolutely vital wellness is for creating, improving and maintaining our health.

"Optimistic Expectancies and Cell-Mediated Immunity: The Role of Positive Affect," published by the Association for Psychological Science, is just the latest article showing the connection between attitude and health. In short: increases in positive cellular immune factors were shown to correlate directly with increased levels of optimism.

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Following on our earlier post here about getting our clients and caregivers out into the garden, and how health promoting working and being with plants is, I thought I'd talk a little about therapeutic or healing gardens. These are fairly new types of landscape design concepts and practices, though in many ways gardens for healing, restoration, respite, and sanctuary have always been present since the time humans first started nurturing plants.

There are a number of different types of therapeutic or healing gardens, some with general healing intents, and others with more specific purposes.  There are healing gardens designed specifically for Alzheimer, cancer, psychiatric or rehab center patients. Other gardens focus on assisted living facilities, residential memory units, adult day care or continuing care communities, or vocational schools. And yet others are intended for respite or meditation.

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