Locked gates for care home garden?

[phin]

Hi there,

I'm a garden design student and have been set a piece of coursework to design a garden in a care home for dementia sufferers. I have been reading a lot of books on dementia and its different forms, and finding it interesting, as well as moving, but I have a few lingering questions. I thought this would be a good place to post them.

One of the things I was wondering is what you, as the family, friends and carers of sufferers, feel about locked gates for outside spaces. Do you think its best that a garden is surrounded by secure fences and gates, maybe with key pads, to stop people leaving the grounds of the care home, or do you feel it's better to allow people to leave if they want to, and for staff to monitor them closely enough to minimise this happening?

I can see advantages and disadvantages to both sides, although personally would err on the side of no locks, since I think the feeling of being trapped, and the anxiety that comes with it, wouldn't be good for a dementia sufferer.

I'd be very grateful for your thoughts on the matter!

Many thanks

 

[Onlyme]

Most gardens I have seen are accessed via a door from the home which would mean the entire area of the garden would be secure and enclosed.

People with dementia seem hell bent on going walk about. One woman at Mum's care home would sit in an armchair near the door and sprint through it as the visitor came through the door.

I wouldn't be happy letting my relative into a garden that was not enclosed in some way.

 

[Nanak]

I don't have any personal experience of someone in a high care home who is mobile but I also would feel you need to err on the side of caution and have any area secure outside as well as inside.
Reading the posts on here of relatives that have gone 'walkabout' and the subsequent panic of the relatives or friends until they are found (luckily, always safely) is proof of that.
Good luck with your studies Phin
Nanak
missing what has gone and scared of what is to come

 

[jenniferpa]

To add to what others have said (and I totally agree that safety comes waaaaaaay before personal freedom in this situation), be aware that a 6ft fence may be inadequate. In the last few years I've been on this forum I've read several stories of people scaling such a fence, even when you would have thought them too old or infirm. I'm not saying that everyone could do this, but you need to consider the possibility. One of the downsides of a fence is that then people relax their guard and assume everything is fine, when it might not be.

 

[lin1]

The only experience I have is by reading posts here

I have read of of one elderly woman who scaled a ten foot garden fence/wall , she was found later thankfully

I would not have a gate , far to much risk of very vulnerable people being able to escape . Staff just dont have the time to monitor it properly

ive read posts here of a few people managing to get thro doors with keypads also following someone else thro .

My vote is for no gate in the rear garden.

Good luck .

 

[PamD]

I'd go for unobtrusively secure - there's the design challenge for you! Care homes have front doors which are locked, both to stop residents from wandering out and, sadly, to keep out inappropriate visitors for the safety of residents. The garden needs the same two-way security. Probably access only from the building, so that the front-door security covers the garden too. Do let us know how your project goes - it sounds very interesting. Pam

 

[susiesue]

Hello Phin

My husband stayed at a lovely care home before his death and loved the sensory garden there whilst he was still able to enjoy it and able to walk around.

There was a keypad in the lounge into the walled garden and the gate out of the garden was padlocked shut. I would have been extremely concerned if he could have 'escaped' from this garden, which I am sure he would have done if the gate had not been locked. Whilst staff monitoring what is going on would be ideal I think you will find that there are usually insufficient staff available to keep an eye on what is going on inside and outside at the same time.

Hope this helps.

 

[piedwarbler]

Have you googled (name of place) I believe you can virtually tour their dementia garden and I've heard it's meant to be an example of a good garden.
Good luck, I think it's great.
I'll PM you the name!

 

[grove]

Hello Phin,Am a Kitchen Asst in a E. M.I N Home & the residents because they are in wheel chairs or not able to walk v well Care Staff have to take them out ino the Garden. Sadly the Garden is only used v occasionally.Have also worked in Care Hom/ mixed Dementia part of the garden was safe & had locked gate. E.M.I N Home has locked gate but its a normal height .

Agree with PamD make it safe & secure could you not have a pretty bush or what ever " hiding or near by " the gate so it does not look obvious & blends in ? Sorry not v well put but hope you understand

Best Wishes & Good Luck !

Love Grove x x x x P S Think depends if Care Home owened by Chain or owned by owener & run by them in what they do . The one work in is small "Group " & they have set Rules for this type of thing x x

 

[Necion]

Hi Phin, security & safety at all costs!
When I 'designed' our back area - garden/drive/patio, I planned this around my recollections of dads' dementia journey many years ago, 'Incase I was struck with the same illness'. Little did I ever think my John would be there!
Driveway gates needed to be high to look right anyway, as they're between house & wall, so they're 8ft high with a whirly top! the bottom 4ft is plain wrought iron vertical bars, with a lovely scroll design at the top half, double-latched and ready for a lock if required.
I'm very interested in the 'perfect dementia garden' mentioned here, so all tips & info gratefully recieved.

John & I are both from country areas, not city people at all, and I would find it very difficult to think either of us were not being able to wander freely but at the same time to be safe, all part of the plan for home-care as long as possible. Of course, 'the best laid schemes'...etc, but if I were having to choose a care home, this would be vital.

I'd be very interested to have a follow-up of how you get on, if you have time. Well done for studying this, good luck with your project.

Love, Necion. x

 

[vdg]

I would say that depending on the area a home is in, locked gates would be essential not only to stop residents getting out but also from stopping undesirables from getting in. Bearing in mind these are vulnerable adults they need protection from those with bad intent as much as from themselves. I like the idea of unobtrusive locking systems, definitely a challenge for the designer.

 

[Skye]

I'd go for unobtrusively secure - there's the design challenge for you!

Totally agree with Pam here!

The garden in an EMI home needs to be totally secure, many people with dementia 'wander', and if there is a way out, they will find it. It's not realistic to say the staff can keep an eye on it, they have too much too do, and it only takes a split second!

On the other hand, it also needs to be attractive, or it won't be used. Not a prison courtyard. Winding pathwathways wide enough for wheelchairs, low shrubs, plenty of flowers, herbs for their scent, a bubbling water feature ( not a pond), bamboo wind chimes (not metal, too noisy), and plenty of places to sit round the garden, and a patio area where the more able can sit and chat.

(I've just been involved in the design of a new mental hospital, now we're working on the gardens!)

PS If you have lawns, you will need wide high gates to allow access for lawnmowers. Otherwise, access via patio doors from the home is best.

 

[Jancis]

Hi Phin,
I think this is a really fascinating project - I would have loved to have studied garden design.

One way of approaching your research (if you haven't done so already) is to get in touch with some dementia care homes that have gardens - in rural and urban settings and ask them about their residents access to the garden spaces and their policy on safety etc. I have visited many different homes whilst looking for alternatives for my relative and have seen some with beautiful gardens - both large and small. The only one I've seen that is obviously 'fenced in' is the home where my relative resides at present, but we're not happy with this home as everything about it is like a 'prison' architecturally and otherwise.

I think you would have to define clearly the kind of residents your garden is for. Many larger homes cater for people at different stages of the illness and they also cater for people with nursing requirements and physical disabilities. These homes are usually divided into two or more sections. The more advanced sufferers are often confined (unfortunate word) to an EMI wing with higher security.

It would be good to see your work when it is completed. Good luck.

 

[danny]

Hi,please come back at some time with your garden design.

Our garden has discreet sensors around that alerts the pager holder and a central alarm that someone has passed by a gate etc.

There is nothing worse than a locked door for someone who is distressed,however, managing this is quite a daunting task.

However,I would not like to get on the wrong side of any relative if I lost a member of their family whilst entrusted with looking after them,nor would I sleep at night if anything happened,so although we have sensors etc,if we were to have in our care someone who repeatedly wanders,I would be straight to B&Q!!!!

Good luck.

 

[danny]

Stirling University have a good book on garden design for people with dementia.I`m sure there is something to do with painting gates the same colour as the shrubs etc so people don`t think they are gates

 

[DeborahBlythe]

What a fascinating thread! I agree so much about keeping intruders out as much as about keeping wandering residents safe.

Also Hazel's point about access for garden maintenance equipment is important too.

Would just add some rather obvious points about making sure all parts of the garden have good wheelchair access. No point in throwing in a wonderful design feature if residents in wheelchairs can't appreciate it.

Also, if there is a gate at the end/side/whatever, even though you don't want residents escaping through it by mistake, that gate also should be comfortably wheelchair-wide for the occasions when wheelchair users do need or want to use it.

This is just a kite I'm flying, but is the garden at present used as an assembly point for fire or other emergencies? Because that would also throw up a few things to think about. Or is the garden purely hypothetical at present?

Good luck anyway.

 

[sleepless]

This is an interesting thread, and I wish you success with your project.
I agree totally that the number one priority here is security.
Many of the residents in EMI homes are there because they were at risk due to 'wandering' when living on their own. This risk is partly that they may hurt themselves, partly that others may harm them.
So no gates that they can exit by, that's a definate!
I can appreciate that maintenance requires access, but if the access blends into the fence or railings, and is lockable, this should be manageable.
Can I make a plea that you make the paths, turning areas,(for wheelchairs) seating areas etc. just a bit bigger than you might think necessary, as foliage hanging over raised beds etc. very often makes these areas unusable.
Once again though, safety in every aspect of this garden must be paramount.
best wishes.

 

[Skye]

Stirling University have a good book on garden design for people with dementia.I`m sure there is something to do with painting gates the same colour as the shrubs etc so people don`t think they are gates

Yes, that's right, Danny. They employ the same principle indoors too. Doors that resident need to use, such as toilets, are painted a bright colour. Doors you don't want them to use are painted the same colour as the wall. Particularly important for fire doors. They have to be there, and they can't be locked, but they can be made to 'disappear'.

http://dementia.stir.ac.uk/

I second the recommendation to contact Stirling dementia centre. I've visited it, and met Prof June Andrews a few times. In fact my signature quote is one of hers. She's very enthusiastic, and always willing to help.

 

[phin]

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all your replies - they are really helpful, and have certainly made it clear what I should do!

As PamD said, "unobtrusively secure" seems like the best route - a fence covered by hedges and hidden gates with keypads. I am intending on having circular paths leading back to a central space, which will hopefully keep people away from the edges and the gates.

grove - good point about who it is owned by. It is run by a guild, who are a charity. I will find out whether they have any policies regarding site security.

Skye - great suggestions - thanks! I love the idea of bamboo windchimes, and am wondering if I could combine it with water to make some kind of gently noisy water feature. And thanks for your second massage - great suggestion about the gates, and will contact Prof Andrews if I need to speak further after reading all their material.

Jancis - good suggestion - I'm on the case. Hoping also to visit the Thrive garden in London this week.

danny - yes they do! I actually just got an email from their librarian telling me how I can get hold of a copy of it. They actually sent over lots of good information, which is great.

Deborah Blythe - good point, but I don't think it is, as it's enclosed by buildings on all three sides, and they have a car park outside which would be a much better assembly point. Will double check though.

Once again - thank you so much for your help! I have a few other questions that I will post here at some point, and when the project is complete - late-February - I will be very happy to post drawings, notes and my final presentation here. I'd love to get your feedback on it again.

Fiona

 

[Skye]

I'd love to see your final design, Fiona. As you can tell, this subject is very dear to my heart.