Mass. VA builds park for veterans with Alzheimer’s

There’s a new park next to the Community Living Center at the Brockton Veterans Affair Medical Center. It has lush green grass, overhead shade, a waterfall, park benches and tables with a painted checkers board, hand rails and fencing. A sound system can even broadcast Red Sox games.

And it’s all for veterans with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

And it was all the staff’s idea.

“As you know, dementia patients wander,” says VA Boston Healthcare System Director Vincent Ng to The Enterprise. “The staff thought about this safe environment and submitted a proposal and a project. … I think this park came out fantastic in terms of our focus on patient-centered care."

The Brockton, Mass. facility is a 120-bed nursing home providing transitional care and long stays for eligible veterans. Park renovations cost nearly $600,000 and were funded by the federal government.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.