Abstract

Demonstrating that it is essential to be sensitive to the cultural backgrounds of people with dementia in order to provide truly person-centred care, this book shows that it is possible to create culturally appropriate outdoor spaces and experiences that resonate with people with dementia on a fundamental level and are a source of comfort and wellbeing.

Contributors drawn from a variety of backgrounds describe the significance of nature in the lives of people with dementia from diverse cultures, faiths, traditions and geographical locations, providing helpful insights into how access to the natural world may be achieved within different care settings. There are contributions from the UK (Scottish island, urban North East England and Norfolk farming communities), Canada, Norway, Japan, Australia, Sudan and South Africa, as well as a chapter on the specific difficulty of providing access to nature for people with dementia in hospitals. The voices of people with dementia and their carers are prominent throughout, and the book also contains evocative poetry and photographs of people with dementia enjoying nature and the outdoors in different contexts.

A rich source of information and ideas for all those interested in creating culturally appropriate outdoor spaces and experiences for people with dementia, including dementia care practitioners, especially those at managerial level, policy makers, commissioners and those involved in designing and commissioning buildings and services.

Marshall and Gilliard challenge us to think beyond the threshold of the care home and what are all too often poorly utilised token corners of green. They address the consequences of being contained, constrained and chemically controlled, but at its heart is a demand to think big, listen and support people with dementia to benefit from getting outside; is that too much to ask?
Colm Cunningham, Visiting Professor at the University of Salford and Director, HammondCare Dementia Centre, Australia
This wonderful book made my heart sing - a powerful exploration of the rich diversity of our lived experience of the outside world, the connection between mother nature and human nature and our collective need for breathing spaces that we recognise, that can bring a deep sense of familiarity, that let us know we are valid, that our place in a world we recognise is intact. Read this book and be inspired to connect people with dementia to outdoor spaces that will resonate with them – this will change their lives and bring them moments of peace, clarity and well-being.
Andy Bradley, Founding Director, Frameworks 4 Change
This book is a substantial addition to our knowledge about the importance of the natural environment to people with dementia. It offers a variety of fascinating and thought-provoking perspectives on different cultural and individual perceptions of nature and the outside world. With increasing realisation that it is possible to live well with dementia, this collection of papers should be essential reading on a vital but unexplored aspect of person-centred care.
Richard Humphries, Assistant Director (Policy), The King's Fund, London