There are a range of commonly held myths and phrases we hear about why gardens cannot be used in care settings; here we explore some and help you step past them!
“But I’m not a gardener, I don’t know what to do out there!”
Have you ever heard this phrase used to explain the reason for not supporting residents to step into the garden? If so, then be reassured you don’t need to be a gardener. Gardens are not all about gardening!
If you ask residents what they enjoy most about being outdoors, or what they enjoyed doing in their own gardens, you will almost certainly discover a long list of easily achievable activities that don’t require any gardening skills at all. In reality, for many people the things they did, and enjoyed in their own gardens may never have included gardening anyway. And if your residents were keen gardeners then why not let them lead you? They will then be the expert that you can learn from as they continue to enjoy sharing this much loved past-time with you.
“Gardening club is Wednesdays, if it’s not raining”
An indicator of a higher performing care setting was spontaneity in engaging with the outdoors when residents wished. These settings have moved beyond the timetabling of outdoor activities to responding in the moment. Consequently, flexibility in the face of our variable weather can result in much more time spent outdoors than at a once a week event. A timetabled gardening club can be a helpful care home activity when practising stepping outside more, or where using outside support, but it can in the longer term hinder wider engagement if the whole home is not included in the new routines to step out with residents spontaneously.
“We always do these activities indoors”
We call this ‘default thinking’ and it occurs when regular activities always take place at a particular time or place without question, ‘because they always have’. Many activities you do indoors can be done outdoors, with small adjustments (including providing appropriate clothing). Take a fresh look at your activity and care plans to see what could be done just as easily outdoors. You may identify many that just require small tweaks such as an extra cushions or throws, or seating that can be moved around the patio more easily.
It’s a good idea to review and sense check your activity provision regularly to ensure that the outside space is included wherever possible, and especially for those who would wish it. This does not need to be complex or expensive but look for ways to enable residents to naturally continue to engage with the outdoors.
“The garden isn’t good enough to spend time out there!”
First of all, the garden belongs to the residents and in which case, it needs to be up to them (with guidance and support) to decide whether or not it is ‘good enough’. We discovered that a garden doesn’t need to be pretty in order to be well used and that all gardens are ‘Sensory garden’ simply by stepping out into this different environment. You would be surprised how little a ‘garden’ needs in terms of equipment and objects in order to delight and entertain for hours. A comfortable bench and seating, along with parasol and table will be more than enough for a wide range of activities and experiences outdoors, all year round.
Here are a few ways that your residents can enjoy their garden. What is of value here is the different mood and atmosphere that being outdoors brings to our day. This can be of huge value to helping residents alter their mood, become aware of different times of the day or season and to stimulate their senses and provides a dementia friendly garden too.
- Somewhere to sit in the sun, or shade, with a cup of tea or a meal outside
- Spending time with friends and family, simply chatting
- Wanting a ‘breath of fresh air’, a change of scene, or a break from indoors, and to feel the weather, whatever it is doing
- Taking a walk to see what is happening around the garden, the changing seasons and the plants growing and the wildlife that is there
- Watching birds and insects, filling bird feeders and baths
Engaging more actively with the garden begins with a review of the current habits and usage patterns that make up your day to day activity and person-centred care plans. Helping to overcome the key assumptions that hold you back in stepping outside is likely to reveal new ways to engage and ways to create greater enthusiasm and interest in the world beyond the threshold.
Step Change Design focuses on encouraging care settings to take a fresh look at their care culture practices helping to embed Person-Centred care in order to enable residents to engage actively and meaningfully with their outside spaces. Our work is based on our large scale research project to understand why care setting gardens are not more actively used.
Our ‘Why don’t we go into the garden?’ series of Books and Tools support you in reviewing and improving on your activities and on an organisational culture change to improved care practices relating to the outdoors. We provide a range of services to support care settings and garden designers in creating actively used care and dementia gardens.
This Blog is based on an original series of articles written for Bright Copper Kettle an organisation providing resources and training for Activity Co-Ordinators in Care Homes