Healthcare, Aging & Dementia
portfolio > healthcare, aging & dementia
SPVV Landscape Architects staff has assisted our clients in creating healing and nurturing places for patients, residents, families and facility staff. Intimately scaled spaces are enhanced with vibrant colors of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs—all of which illustrate growth and the cycle of life. Our plant material selections provide stimulation of the senses and are designed to engage sight, scent, sound, taste and texture. Our outdoor spaces are purposely designed to provide easy access to people of all physical and cognitive abilities.
What is a Healing Garden?
Healing gardens are specialized landscapes purposely designed to address the physical, psychological and emotional well-being of the people using them. This includes patients/residents, family members, staff and visitors of healthcare facilities. Healthcare environments where healing gardens are found include hospitals, hospices, cancer centers, children’s hospitals and rehabilitation units. More recently a national trend is to incorporate healing and rehabilitative gardens into retirement communities, assisted living facilities, Alzheimer’s units, and adult day care facilities.
How do Healing Gardens Work?
Research indicates when people have access to nature, whether it is a view from a window or physical emersion in a garden environment—stress reduction results. People’s blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones decrease while their
tolerance for physical pain increases. In dementia and aging environments there are measurable decreases in depression, agitation, wandering and violent behaviors. A properly designed healing garden will provide people with opportunities for movement and exercise, social interaction, a sense of perceived control, and access to natural distractions like wildlife, flowers or water. Each of these factors has the ability to reduce stress responses; thereby increasing the likelihood for healing to occur.
Profile and Philosophy
Anne Hanenburg, SPVV Landscape Architects
Prior to entering the field of landscape architecture Anne spent 16-years in the healthcare profession where the majority of her patients were senior citizens. She discovered that specializing in design of healing gardens and aging environments is the perfect blend of both professions. This unique pairing affords her the ability to understand the needs of patients, healthcare staff, administrators, and family members using the garden. Every project begins by listening carefully to her clients and understanding how people intend to use the garden. Anne believes that an effective design will result in positive outcomes for the user—whether it’s a momentary mental escape that occurs when viewing and hearing a bubbling fountain, or the feeling that arises when reconnecting with a loved one in a meaningful way in the garden setting.
