Outdoor spaces


levels are lowered and feelings of calm and contentment are restored. If you are outside, you are generally active in some form – be it potting plants or light exercise strolling around the flower beds. Keeping residents moving is crucial to avoid stiffness, pressure pains, and muscle waste. Some people living in our homes love to garden or help with outdoor chores such as sweeping the patio or tending to a bit of weeding. We like to promote an independent, home-from-home lifestyle for our people as much as possible. Forging independence is essential for building self-esteem and mental wellbeing. We find those who actively participate in an aspect of helping at the home feel a greater sense of pride and worth. With many staff having undertaken our dementia promise training at our Reconnect Communities, we are able to fully engage people in some of the outdoor activities that they love. During our recent Orchard in Bloom competition, held over the summer, it was wonderful to see residents getting involved with improvements and adaptations around the group’s gardens. From basic planting to small painting jobs, many took enormous pride in their work and felt they had achieved something as part of a collective project. It makes us happy that we can offer this focused support and see the recognition and joy from our people as they participate. Suzanne McKie, care home manager at one of the Orchard in Bloom winners, Lansbury Court in Sunderland, told me: “We asked our people what their favourite colours, flowers, and ornaments were, then planned from there. They enjoyed painting their pebbles for the garden and arranging the flowers in window boxes outside their


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bedroom windows. Our internal garden is split into two halves, one side for our general residential community and the other half for our dementia community. People from both communities would comment on how lovely the gardens were looking. Families were also delighted with the new and improved garden areas. It brings people together and encourages them to spend quality time outside. There was a real buzz in the home between colleagues whilst work was going on in the gardens and everyone, including our volunteers, was absolutely ecstatic to win the competition”.


Health benefits As well as enhancing our mood, sunshine (even on a cloudy day) can greatly boost our levels of vitamin D, which is important for our bones, muscles, and teeth, as well as helping to keep our immune systems functioning properly. A lack of vitamin D can cause weakened bones, which, when it comes to older people, can have a detrimental effect on their health and mobility. It is therefore crucial that we try to get our residents outside as much as possible.


A moment of calm We often feel calmer outdoors, where many of us feel less claustrophobic or enclosed. Outside, we can embrace the space of our natural surroundings and feel a little freer in body and mind. One theory of this calming effect points to the release of specific phytoncides by trees – these are airborne chemicals that plants emit. It is reported that when breathed in, they have a similar effect to aromatherapy on the body, boosting the immune system and calming the mind. Mindfulness might be a common


buzzword, but at Orchard we do not just pay lip service to mindful therapies – we engage in mindfulness activities regularly. We know that when people are distracted and engaged with a task or enjoying their surroundings, their focus can be taken away from worries or agitations. For those living with dementia, one of the best ways to reduce stress can be by supporting a person outside to get a change of scenery, enjoy some fresh air, or do mindful or meditative breathing exercises. It really works wonders for our colleagues, too, if a shift has been a little tense or they need a short break. Stepping out of the home into a peaceful outdoor space can help shift our perceptions and de-clutter the mind.


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Cheryl Baird


Cheryl Baird is the group director of quality and care across Orchard Care Homes. She has a background in nursing and actively aims to find innovative ways to improve outcomes for every person living in one of Orchard’s 23 care homes.


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com October 2024


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