Cost-effective gardens for health, well-being and improved quality of life 


"A focus on health promotion by design can be used to inspire innovative design and infrastructure solutions that facilitate an active lifestyle and enable the successful management of physical, psychological and emotional stress in our daily lives. " 

"A 10% increase in greenspace buys an equivalent 5 years life expectancy"- Source: European Environment Agency 2012

• Greenstone Design UK works with leading architects, developers and healthcare providers to provide cost effective, salutogenic healthcare landscape and urban design strategies. 
  
  
• Non communicable diseases such as depression, so-called lifestyle diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular, lower respiratory, and diabetes can be effectively managed through landscape-led interventions.
  

"Salutogenic research is based on identifying wellness factors that maintain and promote health, rather than investigating factors that cause disease. A new paradigm that recognises that human health is significantly related to the designed environment is needed. A “salutogenic approach” to infrastructure development embedded at the core of a public health strategy focused on preventative care, changes the focus from risk factors and the treatment of disease to wellness factors and a more holistic understanding of healthy environments. A focus on health promotion by design can be used to inspire innovative design and infrastructure solutions that facilitate an active lifestyle and enable the successful management of physical, psychological and emotional stress in our daily lives." International Academy for Design & Health

• Greenstone Design UK's researchers and design consultants address the specific needs of health and well being through landscape.  Hospitalised patients, care home residents, disabled adults and children and the elderly respond well to healing gardens. Sensory-rich, or controlled, colourful, scented, bio-diverse gardens that are attractive year round have been found to be beneficial to patients, visitors and staff. We design to encourage wildlife to the care home or other healthcare setting garden, adding interest and seasonality to the experience. 
  
  
• We take a community view of health. Traditional pathogenic healthcare, where we wait to treat the sick, is too expensive. Salutogenesis relies on preventative healthcare, through lifestyle changes.Through landscape and urban design interventions we can change lifestyles and behaviours. 
  

• We work with practitioners and funders to show initial capital expenditure saves operational costs through improved staff attraction and retention, reduced patient length of stay and need for pain relief. Air quality is improved through healthy landscape design, potentially reducing air conditioning filtration costs.
  
  
• Climate change is one of the W.H.O's top 10 health concerns facing humanity. We have an opportunity and an obligation to build healthy environments into our healthcare facilities. Empirical research now shows healthcare gardens provide significant operational cost advantages for public health and the environment.
  

rehab gardens can come in any style, to suit your setting, residential centre, local culture and environment

From post traumatic stress disorder in adults to autistic spectrum disorder in children, healing rehab gardens make a difference

Rehab gardens designed for adaptive gardening reduce anxiety, connect people with nature, and provide a better experience for users. As Sir Richard Thompson, Thrive Patron and President of the Royal College of Physicians said:  "Drug therapy can be really expensive, but gardening costs little and anyone can do it." 

Gardens that stimulate people's desire to get outside and walk are most effective. Rehab healing gardens are sensory gardens designed for a specific group and purpose. Sight, smell, sound and water to calm are vital elements within any wellness or rehab garden.

"Gardening burns off calories, it makes joints supple and is fantastic exercise. Gardening as a physical activity has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of anxiety, depression and dementia," says Sir Richard.

Person centred care through gardens in healthcare facilities. Dementia gardens & rehab gardens offer cost-effective interventions through environmental management

  -spinal patients

When we designed the rehab garden at the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire we canvassed staff, patients and their families. The resulting design is a stimulating, accessible garden where patients can work with their physios and OTs, grow vegetables and flowers, or sit with their family and admire the view.

Low-cost and low maintenance designs for social and therapeutic rehab gardens make them accessible for most budgets. Using recycled and locally sourced materials helps build sustainable local communities. Planting that is drought tolerant and needs minimal upkeep reduces maintenance costs.

Please contact us to discuss your needs. info @ greenstonedesign dot co dot uk

 
- stroke and dementia patients

We design rehab gardens for stroke and dementia patients. Certain edible plants are powerful triggers for deep memory.

On picking a leaf and tasting basil for the first time that she could recall a woman said
" Oooh, I can see myself. I am in the cafe eating ciabatta. That must have been 20 years ago".

We work internationally with health care professionals to create rehab gardens to stimulate and soothe, assisting mind, body and spirit recovery from mental and physical health conditions.

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