Therapeutic gardens for persons with dementia

Abstract

Dementia is currently the sixth leading cause of all deaths in the US and it is projected to reach a total estimated prevalence of eleven to sixteen million people by 2050. As healthcare facilities are constructed and renovated to accommodate, there is a need for more information on how to design and integrate therapeutic gardens for people with dementia into the care environment. This thesis addresses the question: How can designers and facility managers comprehensively and specifically approach improving the quality of care for persons with dementia, through the integration of a well-designed garden space? The thesis presents the findings from two case studies in the UK and uses them as lens to analyze a theoretical framework and existing design guidelines. The thesis proposes several new design guidelines and directs critical attention on the importance of proper integration of gardens, architecture, and therapeutic programming for delivering a high quality of care.