OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Every day the goats at Prairie Elder Care Farmstead in Overland Park listen to Elwyn Ray Hodge playing his harmonica. The melody changes depending on the day, but they're all tunes that live in his memory as he continues to battle a form of memory loss.
"Dementia is a progressive disease and so we can't change the progression, but we can with purpose and with meaningful engagement," explained Michala Gibson, co-founder of Prairie Elder Care. "You can have good moments where you can still connect and you can still see that person that's there."
At the dementia center, chickens run free, pigs and goats live in the center’s backyard and fresh vegetables and flowers fill the community garden. This connection to nature helps cultivate timeless moments for its residents and their families, like Jamie Patton, whose father William "Bill" Dritlein was admitted to the center earlier this year.
"It doesn't feel like a facility, it feels like he's at home," Patton said. "We just know he's safe and he's been cared for so wonderfully."
Patients are encouraged to help out with the farm by collecting chicken eggs, pulling weeds and picking out vegetables from the garden.
Families are encouraged to tend to the garden and are given volunteer opportunities to be close with their loved ones. As a volunteer, Dan Bryson helps with the upkeep of the garden while giving him the additional time to be with his wife of 60 years, Beverly.
"It's just something that you can grab on and get your loved one out here and appreciate what's happening and let them have fun," Bryson said.
For Gibson, the farm continues to serve its purpose and as a reminder on how life's simple pleasures can make for an unforgettable moment.
"I think the best part of the farm is that it really does bring people together," Gibson said. "It's a place for families to connect, when sometimes it's harder to connect."
The center is hoping to expand this summer by adding a third house to its facility — opening the doors for more families to experience how a care farm can harvest a sense of hope.
"Patience, patience, is big because they change so fast," said Patton, when asked about her dad's condition. "They can be doing great one day and the next day they don't even recognize you, so it can be really heartbreaking. But having a place like this truly has changed my life."
Community members are also encouraged to volunteer at the farm, to learn more visit their website.
