Nature, gardens, and aging

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["em"],["a",["href","http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Therapeutic-Landscapes-Evidence-Based-Designing-Restorative\/dp\/1118231910","target","_new"]],["b"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The natural attraction\nof humans to nature starts at an early age and is present throughout life. But\nas people age, there is a tendency for many to stay indoors more than they used\nto. This may be due to frailty, fear of falling, unwillingness to be too far\nfrom home base and access to a toilet."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"But there are critical\nreasons why we should be designing environments for the aged that have easy and\nsafe access to nature and the outdoors. There is clear evidence that time\noutdoors in the sun improves the health and well-being of the elderly. Even a\nshort time outdoors in the presence of nature lowers blood pressure, improves\nthe absorption of vitamin D, which results in stronger bones, improves gait and\nstability, and results in better sleep patterns."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Looking at residential\nfacilities for the elderly, most provide a garden. But this outdoor space is\nwidely reported as being underused. Although there are possible reasons that\nhave nothing to do with design \u2013lack of interest among the residents, poor health, unfavorable climate, staff\nprotectiveness \u2013there are three particular reasons designers\nshould be aware of: unattractive design, difficult access, and poor\nmaintenance."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The most frequent design\nand maintenance issues inhibiting use are difficulty opening the door to the\noutdoors, an unattractive space outdoors, rough paving, lack of interesting\nwalkways, lack of seating, uncomfortable seating, and lack of shade."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Most people have lived in\nhomes with gardens and access to nature throughout their lives. Moving to an\nassisted living or senior community, the choice of one with an attractive\ngarden is appreciated by a prospective resident \u2013and by their family."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"An attractive garden means\none with a wealth of plant material by height, color, texture, seasonality;\ninteresting places to take a walk, with longer and shorter loops; frequent\nplaces to sit in sun or shade; a bench visible from the garden entry \u2013so that a frail individual can judge if they can\nwalk that far; and then resting places (bench, moveable chair, ledge) every\n15-20 feet."]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"There are critical\nreasons why we should be designing environments for the aged that have easy and\nsafe access to nature and the outdoors."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This is not rocket science.\nUnfortunately, some so-called gardens often offer no comfortable place to sit,\nlittle variety of plant materials, and a landscape that is predominantly\nhard-surface \u2013more a courtyard than a garden. The ideal ratio\nof greenery to hardscape is 7:3."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Easy accessibility to the\ngarden is critical. This means an automatic door opener, a smooth sill (nothing\nto impede a wheelchair), and a window for pre-viewing (\u201cWhat\u2019s the weather like?...Who is in the garden?\u201d). In a study of multiple nursing home gardens, Susan Rodiek found that\nwhere the door was easy to navigate, residents spent on average of 195 minutes\noutdoors a week more than in facilities with poorly navigable doors. Given the\nhealth benefits of exercise and being outdoors, this is a critical finding."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Thus, while the\nresponsibility for garden design is in the hands of a landscape architect, ease\nof access to that garden is the responsibility of the architect."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Steps to Guarantee a Garden"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Other critical issues that\ntend to affect whether a garden is used include the following:\n\n\n\n\u001d"]]],[3,"ul",[[[0,[],0,"Views into the garden\nfrom frequently used indoor spaces (dining room, day room etc.) so residents\nare reminded it is there. Again, this needs to be part of the architect\u2019s\nagenda."]],[[0,[],0,"Place a patio with\ncomfortable seating just outside the main garden entry. This is nearly always\nthe most frequently used space in the garden."]],[[0,[],0,"A solid shade\nelement at every garden entry, as aging eyes have difficulty adjusting from\nindoor light levels to bright sunshine. This should never be a slatted arbor\nthat throws a ladder-like series of shadows on the ground. This can lead to \u201cvisual cliffing\u201das aging eyes can perceive the dark shadows as \u201ctroughs\u201dand stumble trying to cross them."]],[[0,[],0,"Ensure that all\npathways are non-glare and smooth enough for wheelchairs and walkers."]],[[0,[],0,"Provide seating\nclusters that permit friends or a family group to sit together, as well as\nplaces where a resident could find a place to be alone. For many residents,\nliving with many others may well be a new experience, and the garden should be\na place where they can find privacy."]],[[0,[],0,"Provide a variety\nof fixed and movable seating, and avoid specifying the ubiquitous Adirondack\nchair. It is hard for an older person to get out of such a chair; slumping of\nthe body is bad for the inner organs and digestion."]],[[0,[],0,"A water\nfeature is always appreciated, both for the sight and sound of running water,\nand for the wildlife it often attracts. Bird feeders in the garden also attract\nbirds and are best placed near where people sit."]]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n\u0007(These and other elements\nof gardens for seniors are covered in depth in Clare Cooper Marcus and Naomi\nSachs, "],[0,[0,1],2,"Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing\nGardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces"],[0,[],0," [Hoboken NJ: John Wiley and Sons,\n2014].)\n\n\n\n\u0007"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"About the Author"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Clare Cooper Marcus is professor emerita in\nArchitecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of California at\nBerkeley. Internationally recognized for her research on the psychological\nimplications of design, she is the recipient of awards from the American\nInstitute of Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects, The\nNational Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation, among others.\nShe is the author \/ co-author of the books Housing as if People Mattered\n(1986), People Places (1990), House as a Mirror of Self (1994), Healing Gardens\n(1999), Iona Dreaming \u2013The Healing Power of Place (2010), and\nTherapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens\nand Restorative Outdoor Space (Wiley, 2014)."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n"]]]]}