04/15/2026
Our residents are showing us what meaningful engagement really looks like.
A couple of years ago, resident Rudolph "Coach Red" Smith kicked the Gardening Club off with a simple signup sheet. Since then, the club has grown to 18 members and is transforming both the independent and assisted living courtyards. Residents Jim Mire and Judy Hale have now taken leadership roles, planting everything from amaryllis and zinnias to herbs the kitchen now uses in resident meals.
This story is about more than flowers though. Neighbors gather at tables to transplant seedlings together. Residents have chipped in over $400 to support the club. One 92-year-old assisted living resident even tagged along on a flower-shopping trip, simply because he loves the garden so much.
In senior living, we talk a lot about getting residents involved. This is what it looks like when they have the space to lead.
Read the full story:
At The Claiborne at Baton Rouge, a resident-led Gardening Club is transforming courtyards and bringing neighbors together, one plant at a time.