Big Lottery Fund grant to transform outdoor spaces at UK care homes

A gardening project that launched on Monday, 1 February 2016 received a £1.3 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

National charity Learning through Landscapes is running the project that will support people with dementia by transforming outdoor spaces at 30 care homes across the UK.

The charity will work with residents and staff to make gardens and outdoor settings more suitable, stimulating and accessible.

It will also aim to make the gardens more like familiar natural environments people have experienced in the past to encourage to people to use the spaces more often and improve their health and wellbeing.

Juno Hollyhock, executive director of Learning through Landscapes, said: “This project brings together elements such as garden design, staff training and support, client based consultation and local knowledge to create innovative and exciting garden spaces.

“We believe that bringing the very best in current thinking around designing for people living with dementia will give many more settings the chance to try out low cost solutions in their outdoor spaces in the future.”

Learning through Landscapes has found that the outside spaces of many dementia care settings are rarely use and tend to be tidy, easy-to-maintain, highly-manicured spaces without areas to grow plants or wild corners that attract wildlife.

Juno added: “Access to nature has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve concentration and improve physical mobility.

“Evidence also suggests that outdoor activities can re-ignite latent skills and memories.”

The project aims to replicate the findings of a pilot in Herne Bay, Kent, and the charity has consulted with the residents and staff.

The care home’s outdoor space was transformed by a landscape gardener who introduced paths that always return to the beginning, memory beds with familiar flowers which were bright and highly scented.

A seaside area with a beach hut and shells were also included in the garden to remind residents of visits to the coast, and bird boxes and feeding stations were positioned so that birds visit the garden, and improved seating.

Staff will also be trained to promote frequent access to more appealing outdoor areas where people can rediscover gardening skills to improve their self-esteem or simply relax and take in the multi-sensory experiences of nature.

Sue Cliffe, chief officer at Age UK Herne Bay, said: “Since we have made the changes our service users engage so much more with the outdoors.

“They are now able to go outside on their own and can often be found with a cup of tea watching the wildlife in our new habitat area.

“We can see for ourselves how being outdoors and in the natural environment helps their health and wellbeing by improving mobility, increasing relaxation and reducing anxiety.”

Learning through Landscapes is being supported by several partners – Groundwork will manage and deliver the landscaping works, Thrive will deliver the training to care home staff, Age UK will provide expertise on project design and implementation for people living with dementia, as well as identify appropriate settings, and the University of Kent will deliver the evaluation and support the consultations.

Dawn Austwick, Big Lottery Fund chief executive, commented: “This inspiring project will support people with dementia to be more independent through better access to the natural environment.

“Designed with input from the residents themselves, with familiar features that will stimulate their memories, these outdoor spaces will have a hugely positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing.

“We are pleased to support Learning through Landscapes to expand this work across the UK.”

The 30 venues will be selected to ensure a variety of gardens with a range of features are included.

The first ten care homes to take part in the project are: