INSIDE OUT: garden use by people living with dementia in nursing homes

Abstract

This thesis shows that spending time in a nursing home garden can have positive effects on quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and daily life of people living with dementia in nursing homes. Simple everyday activities, like sitting outside, going for a walk, or having a drink, can already make a difference. Not all nursing home residents living with dementia use the garden equally often. Especially those who are most dependent on care due to severe physical impairment or being in a advanced stage of dementia, tend to go outside less frequently.

When developing a garden use intervention to encourage garden use, it is important to consider the physical, social and organizational environment. For the physical environment, this thesis includes a practical ‘Nursing Home Garden Toolkit’, which can help care organizations with designing gardens that meet the needs of the residents living with dementia, their families, and care staff.

Research that brings together science and practice is essential to make lasting changes. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, this thesis offers building blocks to help integrate garden use in the daily nursing home practice.