Article 3

Name of article: How Nature Can Be Used To create a Therapeutic Outdoor Environment

Name of journal: Nursing Older People

Name of author(s): Carol Davis

When and how did you locate this article? I found this article by using the library’s EBSCOhost database search. Since I was interested in the benefits of nature, I typed in the words “therapeutic benefit” and “horticulture”.

Two paragraph synopsis of what you learned in this article:

A pilot program, in a nursing home, was done by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The program urges people to encourage wildlife back into their gardens by making it animal and bird friendly. Due to the amount of positive effects on the residents it is now being implemented in 305 of the organization’s care homes. RSPB aims to bring many of the species back into gardens that are on the decline. The nice thing about this project is that the residents and their relatives can enjoy the creativity and relaxation that gardening for wildlife brings at the level that they prefer. This can either be by help building a bird bath or keeping watch for their favorite birds.

     The plan is to bring something different to the surroundings of the care homes and to enhance the day-to-day experience. RSPB aimed to provide access to wildlife within easy reach of the buildings and to create bird tables that can be visible from the bedrooms, lounge and dining area. Assembling some of these areas can be done cheaply and easily. Hedgehog hotel was constructed out of bricks, the butterfly bistro is a nectar stick and the bugs’ bed and breakfast was made from dead wood.

     Residents have been a great part of the project. They work with staff to make fat cakes, bird watching, building and painting nest boxes, and helping staff create habitats. Some of the benefits that have been observed are: motivation in the residence, help spark memory for individuals with dementia and it provides a nice break from the TV. 90 percent of the participants said that the pilot was useful or very useful in terms of improving their experience. An interest in wildlife and bird watching is now incorporated into the homes monthly activities.

How will you apply this knowledge to your professional development?

Something that I will take away from this article is the power of nature. Most of us get so wrapped up in our everyday lives that we take the fresh air for granted. There are many participants that have all of their activities within the same four walls.

Would you recommend this article for other TR students?  Why or why not?

I would recommend this to others. The article talks about the positive changes they saw within their participants after the garden was established.