Nancy Chapman

Gardens for People with Dementia

SUMMARY Although exposure to the natural environment has therapeutic benefits for nursing home residents and residents with dementia (Cohen-Mansfield & Werner, 1998; Lovering et al., 2002; Mooney & Nicell, 1992), many elders living in congregate facilities have limited access to the natural world. Long-term care facilities often do not incorporate the use of plants and natural settings into their daily activities due to limited knowledge, time, and funding. A twenty-two hour training program was developed and tested to increase the knowledge of activity staff about horticulture and how to involve their residents in the outdoor environment. Staff members were able to introduce changes both to their activity programs and to the outdoor environments in their facilities as a result.

Privacy Needs When Visiting a Person With Alzheimer’s Disease: Family and Staff Expectations

Over the past decade, environmental psychologists and architects have combined efforts to create living environments that respond to the needs of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Although they have defined privacy as a significant topic, we know little about the importance of physical privacy for family visitors to long-term care facilities. This exploratory study addressed this topic through in-depth interviews with 22 family and 26 staff members of 15 long-term care facilities. Thematic analysis indicates that families attempt to achieve privacy by personalizing their relative’s living space and by maintaining territorial control over personal objects. Both families and staff members must adapt to behaviors of persons with dementia that do not meet cultural norms. The most popular places for visiting were public and semipublic spaces, even when private areas were available. Implications for researchers, facility designers, and operators are presented.