Design and case study of an Alzheimer's garden in the Illinois Veterans Home at Anna

Many medical institutions have installed gardens with therapeutic intent directed towards Alzheimer's patients. A large portion of these gardens, however, have failed to achieve this purpose. Gardens must be designed correctly in order to maximize functionality and provide intended benefits of the garden. This study used current literature and professional consultation to design a therapeutically functional Alzheimer's garden in a court yard space. A qualitative case study was proposed, in conjunction to the design, regarding Alzheimer nursing home residents' use of a traditionally landscaped garden. This study generated baseline data for future comparison with a case study of an Alzheimer's garden on the same re-designed site. The future case study will use the same mixed methods procedures of quantitative behavior mapping and qualitative interviews. It was hypothesized that current use of the traditional garden would generate valuable information regarding use of space and also support the need for future gardens designed specifically for residents with Alzheimer's disease.