This important book simply but persuasively demonstrates why we should provide the opportunities for people with dementia to experience the great outdoors. It also gives a voice to people with dementia who have felt the benefit of getting closer to nature. The contributors explore many different ways in which people with dementia can experience and interact with nature through pursuits such as farming, gardening and walking, and the book includes a chapter on the therapeutic, life-enhancing effects of activities with animals. The book includes descriptions of projects and initiatives from around the world that have revolutionised the everyday experience of people with dementia, and made a real difference to their quality of life. Illustrated with photographs amply demonstrating the power of nature to lift the spirits and enrich life, the book will be an inspiring guide for relatives, carers and professionals who want to help people with dementia lead a richer life, experience nature fully and enjoy its many accompanying benefits.
Dedication. Introduction. 1. Dementia, Spirituality and Nature. Malcolm Goldsmith, author of In A Strange Land and Hearing the Voice of People with Dementia and former Research Fellow, Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling, Scotland. 2. Sunlight and Daylight. David McNair, Director of Lighting, Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling, Scotland. 3. Living with Dementia through the Changing Seasons. Neil Mapes, Director of Dementia Adventure CIC, Essex, UK. 4. Swindon Walking Group, Linda Hughes, Lead Occupational Therapist, Forget Me Not Centre, Swindon, UK. 5. From Demedicalisation to Renaturalisation: Dementia and Nature in Harmony. Peter Whitehouse, Geriatric Neurologist, The Intergenerational School and Case Western Reserve University, USA, Danny George, Department of Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine, USA, Johanna Wigg, The Vicarage by the Sea, Inc., Maine, USA and Brett Joseph, Environmental Educator and Farmer/Permaculturalist, Center for Ecological Culture, Inc., Ohio, USA. 6. A Walking Panacea. Brian and June Hennell. 7. Farming for Health: Exploring Benefits of Green Care Farms for People with Dementia. Simone DeBruin, Researcher, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Simon Oosting, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, the Netherlands and Marie-José Enders-Slegers, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. 8. No roof but the sky above my head. James McKillop, MBE. 9. Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) for People Living with Dementia. Marcus Fellows, Chief Executive, BCOP, UK. 10. Gardening and Dementia. Members of the Park Club, Age Concern Exeter, UK, and Rachael Litherland, Innovations in Dementia, CIC, UK. 11. Allotments. Lorraine Robertson, Alzheimer Scotland. 12. Things aren't what they used to be. Trevor Jarvis. 13. Creativity Outdoors, Claire Craig, Art and Design Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. 14. The Therapeutic Mountain. Halldóra Arnardóttir, PhD Art Historian and Javier Sánchez Merina, Architect, Sarq Architecture Office and Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain. 15. Three Voices. Scottish Dementia Working Group. 16. Arne Naess Reflection. Peter Whitehouse, Geriatric Neurologist, The Intergenerational School and Case Western Reserve University, USA. 17. Asian Culture and Nature. Manjit Nijjar and carers. 18. Two Poems. John Killick, Poet and Writer in Residence for Alzheimer Scotland. Conclusions. Index.
How can one accept that people with dementia are deprived of the so simple and yet essential pleasures of relating to Nature when the solutions are there, in this rich and inspiring book?
