Àltima collaborates with the Therapeutic Garden at the Bernat Jaume Social and Health Center in Figueres

Figueres, December 9, 2019. — The project to transform the terrace on the first floor of the Bernat Jaume Socio-Health Centre of the Fundació Salut Empordà (FSE) into a Therapeutic Garden has received a new contribution from Àltima. The funeral company, which has a presence in Alt Empordà through the Figueres Crematorium and the Llançà Funeral Home, donated €3,000. With this new collaboration, the initiative to improve the well-being of users, families, and professionals at the socio-health centre has gathered a total of 196 donations from businesses and individuals, amounting to €59,396.

The fundraising campaign for the Therapeutic Garden began in March, coinciding with the start of the renovation works to convert the terrace into a landscaped environment. The facilities were inaugurated in June, and the donation campaign will close at the end of this year, 2019.

The Therapeutic Garden

The Therapeutic Garden at Bernat Jaume caters to over a thousand users annually, including patients, family members, and professionals at the centre. It is a 450-square-meter outdoor space designed to meet the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of users, helping them stay connected with reality and providing psychophysical well-being. It serves as an additional tool among the techniques, instruments, and care methods used by Bernat Jaume to support its residents.

This is an innovative project in the Girona region, as no other hospital facility has a similar area. The therapeutic value of contact with nature has been recognized throughout history. However, scientific advancements in medicine since the 1950s have distanced patients from nature and made illness the focal point of care. With the aim of humanizing the environment, the Therapeutic Garden project was born.

The core theme of the space is the Mediterranean: not only as a concept of landscape but also as a way of understanding the environment. It is represented by a collection of plants easily recognizable to users that also offer many interaction possibilities. To ensure it can be used throughout the year, pergolas and open pavilions have been installed. More information about the project can be found at [www.llavordefutur.com](http://www.llavordefutur.com).