A breath of fresh air: the rising importance of outdoor spaces

At Sensory Trust, we have always been vocal about the importance of care home gardens. We believe that both access and the quality of experience on offer are paramount to the health and wellbeing of care home residents. We know that contact with nature reduces stress, reduces mental fatigue, promotes blood flow, and bolsters our mood. It is something that we subconsciously seek out on a daily basis.

Our work over the years has shown how a well-designed care home garden encourages residents to be more active, to find renewed purpose in garden hobbies, and gain mental uplift from daily contact with the natural world. Notably, for residents with limited mobility and few opportunities to venture into their wider community, the garden offers their sole connection with the outside world.

Recently, topics such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and end-of-life care keep popping up in conversations with health and social care professionals. You might think these are three unconnected topics, but they have got us thinking; how will they impact on the way that care home gardens are used and therefore designed in the future?