Effects of Therapeutic Gardens in Special Care Units for People with Dementia

Researchers and designers have recently focused on design of Special Care Units and effects of the environment on people with dementia. However, empirical findings that question the effects of such units on people with dementia are limited. Smaller still are empirical studies with regard to the outdoor environment in facilities housing those in Special Care Units. This research explores the idea that “therapeutic garden” spaces may play an important role in therapeutic restoration of people with dementia, and questions how well such spaces are integrated into the designs of outdoor spaces for this population. This research conducts post-occupancy evaluations of outdoor spaces of two special care units of assisted living facilities for people with dementia in a Midwest metropolitan area. Multimethod qualitative research techniques were employed including interviews, behavior-mapping, and observations using the AARS observation tool for dementia behavior interpretation. Residents, family members and staff from the two special care units were interviewed to explore the garden use. Additional interviews were conducted among administrators and design professionals. This study is a first step in examining the effectiveness of gardens in special care units in order to advance present knowledge and to provide a more informed basis for design. The vast majority of people interviewed expressed positive responses when discussing the garden spaces in the facilities and recommended that gardens be a standard in all nursing home facilities. Themes were discovered that correlated with the level of physical and psychological activity. This research concluded that there is a need for therapeutic gardens to be incorporated as a ‘standard’ complementary element in special care units for people with dementia. Such an inclusion directly impacts the quality of life for residents, staff and family members.