Generation in Bloom: Intergenerational Collaboration to Combat Ageism through Healing Garden Therapy in Salam Wetan, Bantul

Group Photo

Bantul, 3 August 2025 — The Community Engagement Team of the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities (CBMH), Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, conducted another phase of the Healing Garden Therapy program entitled “Generation in Bloom: Combating Ageism through Healing Gardens” in Salam Wetan Hamlet, Bangunjiwo Village, Bantul. This initiative represents a sustained effort to create healthy, inclusive, and age-friendly environments while promoting intergenerational education to address age-based stigma and discrimination (ageism).

The activity, held on Sunday morning, began at 07.00 a.m. with the sixth phase of communal work (gotong royong). Community members and the CBMH team collaboratively assembled hydroponic installations and installed garden bricks as part of the ongoing development of the healing garden. This hands-on process reflects the program’s emphasis on community participation and ecological sustainability.

Following the communal activity, the program continued with an official opening session and the introduction of the Ageism-Sensitive Elderly Health Monitoring Book. This publication was designed as a practical and accessible tool to support families and community health volunteers (kader) in monitoring the health conditions of older adults on a regular basis, while also encouraging a more respectful and non-discriminatory approach toward aging.

As part of the evaluation and mentoring process, the activity was directly observed by the Monitoring and Evaluation (Monev) Team from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) UGM. Susy Heri Pertiwi, AMd, representing the Monev team, attended the event and followed the program through to the book launch session. She expressed her appreciation for the active involvement of the community and the program’s visible progress.

“Initiatives like this have strong potential for wider development, including collaboration with community health centers (puskesmas), particularly to enhance health literacy and strengthen community engagement in elderly care,” she noted.

The event was also attended by members of the CBMH community engagement team who collectively promoted ethical and humanistic approaches to community-based development grounded in bioethics and medical humanities.

The Healing Garden Therapy program constitutes a tangible contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). By fostering intergenerational collaboration and integrating social-ecological perspectives, the program creates healthy, inclusive, and age-friendly spaces that challenge ageism and support the dignity and well-being of older persons.

Editor : Rafi