FEATURE The survey also revealed:
• Wildlife or bird watching is one of the most popular activities for people living with dementia and 25% of the people with dementia who were interviewed said that they took part several times a week or every day.
• Informal walking outdoors was the most frequently cited activity (38%) and was also seen as vitally important by carers for its beneficial effect.
• The most popular places to visit for people with dementia were associated with water such as lakes, rivers or the coastline.
• City parks and public gardens were also popular with 30% of those surveyed.
• Some local green spaces such as allotments, city farms and community gardens are rarely used by people with dementia.
Natural England found the top barriers preventing people with dementia from taking part in outdoor activities and having contact with nature were:
• Insufficient information about what places have to offer and their suitability for visitors with dementia.
• Inadequate support to get to locations, to use facilities, and to participate in outdoor activities.
• Lack of transport. • Lack of confidence. • Fears and safety concerns.
strong evidence to show the positive benefits of engagement with the natural environment for people living with dementia and this survey adds to that body of evidence. Importantly, it heard directly from both those living with dementia and their carers, and the research has revealed important new information and insights. This work will now help
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our partners and the wider health community to take action that will enable people with dementia to have more and better quality opportunities to be active in the great outdoors.”
Dementia Adventure, Managing Director, Neil Mapes says of the project: “Is it nice outside? For many people living with dementia and their family carers the answer is yes. People want and need to get out into the fresh air, to walk, be near water and watch and listen to the birds. The fact that these simple outdoor pleasures are not equally accessible for some of the thousands of families living with dementia is another reminder for us to work across care and conservation boundaries and implement the solutions contained in the report."
Toby Williamson, Head of Development and Later Life at the Mental Health Foundation says: “The benefits of outdoor activity for peoples’ wellbeing, whether it’s walking, wildlife watching, or just ‘being in nature’, are well known. But concerns about safety and access can mean that many
people with dementia do not share in those benefits. The research that the Mental Health Foundation and Innovations in Dementia undertook for Natural England and Dementia Adventure in this report showed that people with dementia, and their families and friends, wanted to continue to visit green spaces, such as parks and rivers, and participate in outdoor activities. It identifies simple, practical changes that organisations responsible for green spaces can make to ensure they are dementia accessible and inclusive, so people with dementia and their carers can continue to enjoy being outdoors.”
Dementia directly affects around 800,000 people and a further 670,000 carers. Costs to the health service, local government and families are currently around £23 billion, and estimates suggest this may treble by 2040. With an ageing population the number of people living with dementia in the UK is estimated to double in the next 30 years.
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