Jack Carmen on Therapeutic Gardens

A LiveBlog of Jack Carmen's lecture on Developing Therapeutic Gardens for Older Adults and Special Needs Populations.

Roger Ulrich found that hospital patients with a view of nature had:

• Shorter Stays
• Less pain
• Fewer minor complications
• Better emotional well-being

With billions being invested in hospitals today, there is a clear opportunity to increase this natural healing effect. The Baby Boomers are going to force this change.

Claire Cooper Marcus and Marni Barnes wrote an important book for landscape architects called Healing Gardens. Other forces (or indicators?) for change include Bill Thomas and the Eden Alternative.

More and more are moving towards CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities)

• 274 in the 80s
• 2,240 in 2005

His examples included techniques for getting community members actively involved in shaping the gardens and taking a sense of ownership. Even if they can't do the work themselves. Some of the gardens were simple retirement gardens but some were more serious Dementia Gardens.
Depending on the age and their conditions, these populations require a variety of design concerns that require new sensitivity like grade changes, toxic plants, landmarks for wayfinding, boundaries, and familiar fixtures like fountains and benches.

Aside from those at CCRSs, a great public example was the Portland Memory Garden. It is becoming a model as designers (and retirees) realize the growing need for therapeutic landscapes.