Aged care facilities across the Netherlands are home to a growing elderly population, many of whom face isolation, depression and the challenges that come with dementia. Nearly 19% of the Dutch population is over the age of 65, with approximately 280,000 people living with dementia. Studies show that individuals living in aged care facilities often experience higher rates of depression and isolation, particularly when disconnected from society and lacking opportunities for meaningful engagement. However, there are ways to re-engage these residents, and one method is through sustainability initiatives that not only benefit the environment but also encourage a sense of purpose and community for the residents.
Having spent over seven years working as a physiotherapist in aged care facilities, I witnessed firsthand the emotional and cognitive challenges faced by residents, especially those living with dementia. I also saw how difficult it was to create engaging activities that brought these residents back into the community. My passion for sustainability sparked an idea: what if we could combine sustainability initiatives with re-engaging residents with dementia?
This idea led me to establish a sustainability committee within the aged care facility where I worked in Melbourne, Australia. Our first major initiative involved starting a recycling program that could engage residents with dementia through simple, hands-on tasks that set them up for success. The project began with collecting plastic bottle lids, which are typically difficult to recycle. Partnering with facility staff, we set up collection stations for plastic lids and bread tags
throughout the community. Families, staff, and even community members brought in lids, which were washed and sorted into different types of plastic.
The challenge was how to engage residents with dementia in this process. Following the Montessori approach, which is designed to create success-oriented tasks for individuals with cognitive challenges, we created a simple yet meaningful activity: sorting the cleaned lids by colour. It was a straightforward task, but the impact was huge! Residents who were typically difficult to engage began to take notice and participate. They may not quite remember where they were, but they knew that a red cap goes in the red bucket.
We would set up a quiet, communal area with gentle music, and residents were served tea and biscuits while they worked together to sort the lids. The activity promoted fine motor skills, cognition, and social interaction, as well as mobility - an allied health professional’s dream! More importantly, it gave the residents a renewed sense of purpose. As they sorted the lids by colour, they weren’t just completing a mindful task—they were contributing to a greater cause and knew
they were helping a good cause.
Resident Jim said: “I like the fact that I’m doing something to help somebody else, and that people in the long run are benefiting from our efforts. The sorted lids were then sent to a cooperative recycling program, where they were used in various projects, including making new products from recycled materials. We also began
experimenting with other ideas to use the lids including creating a mural for the home out of the lids.
This simple recycling activity began to spread throughout the facility, and soon even residents who didn’t have dementia from other parts of the facility started to join in. It was incredible to see how something as simple as sorting plastic lids could have such a positive impact. Not only were the residents contributing to a sustainable initiative, but they were also re-engaging with society in a meaningful way. The project fostered a sense of community within the facility and connected
the residents with the outside world.
Perhaps the most rewarding part of this initiative was seeing how it changed the lives of the residents. The project gave them a sense of pride and a feeling that they were still valuable contributors to society. For many, it rekindled a sense of purpose that had been lost along with their independence. In addition to the physical and cognitive benefits, this project showed that sustainability and community engagement can go hand in hand, especially for vulnerable populations like those in aged care and those with disabilities.
With the learnings and momentum gained from the lid sorting program, we continued to explore other initiatives including litter clean-up walks, Plastic Free July programs, bread tag recycling programs, implementation of newspaper recycling boxes and more!
This initiative was able to show the power of simple, sustainable activities in improving the well-being of aged care residents, particularly those with dementia. Sustainability is more than just recycling - it’s about reconnecting people with their sense of value and belonging in society.
After several years as a physio, I’m now on a mission to help organisations of all sizes including healthcare organisations and aged care facilities to work towards more circular operations. Don’t hesitate to contact me to see how we can best work together to integrate sustainability and circularity in your organisation!
Caitlyn Socwell
W: www.thewastenotspot.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlynsocwell/
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