Evaluating the benefits of implementing a meaningful garden space
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluating the benefits of implementing a meaningful garden space in a Liverpool care home
IRAS ID
268520
Contact name
Clarissa Giebel
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Background: Many care home residents are found to not engage in many activities, and by instead rather passive in their day-to-day lives. By implementing meaningful activities however, care home residents might be more likely to lead a more active life and thus have a better quality of life. The aim of this implementation project is to design, implement, and evaluate a meaningful garden space in a local care home in Liverpool.
Method: This observational study will involve baseline and follow-up measurement. The Maastricht Daily Life Observation Tool will be used to map the activities, the physical environment, social interactions, and psychological well-being of participants. The baseline measurement will give insight into the daily life of participants before the remodelling. The follow-up measurement will give insight into the effects of the remodelling on the daily lives of participants. Up to 24 residents will be observed in their daily lives at the care home during two morning and two afternoon sessions before, and the same sessions after the garden implementation. In addition, the residents will be asked to complete a brief measure on cognition (ACE-III), everyday functioning (Lawton and Brody scale, Barthel Index), and quality of life (DemQol) before and after the implementation.
Analysis: Data on the pre and post implementation observations will be analysed using descriptive analyses on the observed aspects of daily life, followed by a dependent t-test to check for differences between pre and post implementation observations.
Potential implications: Findings from this study will help to understand the benefits of creating a meaningful garden space in an urban care home. We will be producing an implementation plan at the end of the project also so that other care homes can implement the garden space, guided by information on how to develop and evaluate the garden space.REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0645
Date of REC Opinion
2 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion