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The effect of a walled garden on behavior of individuals with Alzheimer's

Dana Nemecek, BA

Psychology Department, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Kathy Oliver

St. Michaels Health Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Provision of Special Care Units for people with Alzheimer's is seen as a solution to difficulties with their behavior, but the effect of such a unit is rarely tested. After Southland Care Center built an enclosed garden next to such a locked-in unit, residents' behavior was observed to look for such an effect. No pre-post-differences in disruptive behaviors were observed over the summer high-use period However, residents averaged only 14 percent of the peak afternoon use time in the garden, and those using it more displayed less disruptive behavior. As well, residents slept less in the daytime in summer compared to winter and spent more time in winter looking out the window and trying the handle of the door to the garden. Garden use appeared to have had a general positive effect on morale but little effect on disruptive behaviors, perhaps because of limited use by residents.

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				M. B. Detweiler, P. F. Murphy, L. C. Myers, and K. Y. Kim Does a Wander Garden Influence Inappropriate Behaviors in Dementia Residents? American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, March 1, 2008; 23(1): 31 - 45. [Abstract] [PDF]