Our Research Into: ‘Why aren’t care home gardens more actively used?’……
…that was our research question driven by a growing awareness of care home gardens that were not being used as much as expected, even when designed to the latest guidance. In 2013 we undertook an extensive self-funded research project with 24 dementia care homes across England and Wales to find out the answer.
Our investigations led us deep into the care organisation as we followed the evidence beyond the garden, what we found was:
Ressearch & Evaluation award
We saw care delivered along a care culture spectrum, from those where the doors were firmly locked, often task focused, through to settings with a loving care entirely focused on meeting individual’s residents wishes, needs and interests. In these higher performing care homes we observed meaningful engagement outside taking place spontaneously, with a whole home approach to supporting residents.
The ‘Care Culture Map’ tool was our visual way to explain and share this care spectrum and the correlation to improved care practices enabling care teams to identify what is holding them back and to plan improvements required before or alongside any physical garden design changes.
Debbie Carroll and Mark Rendell went onto write the ‘Why don’t we go into the garden?’ series of books and tools to share the key findings to both the care and design sectors. Supporting a journey to improved care practices to achieve greater engagement outside.
Where physical changes are required these books enable a clearer articulation of an appropriate garden design brief within the context of the care culture at a setting. Delivering the right design support within this context we call this a ‘Relationship-Centred Design’ approach and the key principles are:
Measuring success
This brings us back to our original question; we now measure the success of care setting gardens by how meaningfully and actively they are used by residents and care teams. We listen out to see if ‘Why don’t we go into the garden? is heard, not as a question to be overcome but, as an invite to step into the garden together. So Why don’t we go into the garden together now……
Reflections 10 years on
We displayed a Poster at the UK Dementia Congress 2024 sharing a reflective of our 10 year long unique research journey versus the more traditional academic route. Here we share our highs and lows to our approach and some insights from other key contacts we encountered along the way, this may be helpful to others undertaking their own research project.
You dared to lift and peer under the skirt of care culture which needed desperately to be exposed as the underlying driver of all possible and actual outdoor experiences for residents, families and indeed staff themselves. This bold and necessary move on your part was equalled by your own personal journeys [into reviewing current design approaches]…It is no exaggeration to say you have birthed a movement.
Answering the question was so important. I’m a huge admirer of what you’ve achieved & the way you’ve been able to share your findings in a way that’s so clear, accessible & meaningful. A tool rather than a report was the perfect way to help others to help themselves
I LOVE your books! Arrived last week and I am learning so much- and learning how I, as an eco-gerontologist, can apply the knowledge and research your share- so much information. Also, I appreciate the presentation- easy to digest and the Culture Map is awesome! Thank You!!!
…It’s ground breaking insightful work. You have really understood the complexity and realities of the sector and broken this down into a digestible and useful format for best practice and a ladder for implementing change. Truly amazing!