Therapeutic landscapes and wellbeing in later life: Impacts of blue and green spaces for older adults

Jessica Finlay; Thea Franke; Heather McKay; Joanie Sims-Gould

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.05.001

Therapeutic landscapes and wellbeing in later life: Impacts of blue and green spaces for older adults

Health Place. 2015 Jul:34:97-106. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.05.001. Epub 2015 May 18.

Authors

Jessica Finlay¹, Thea Franke², Heather McKay³, Joanie Sims-Gould⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geography, Environment and Society, University of Minnesota, 414 Social Sciences, 267 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, 55455 MN, USA; Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, 2635 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1M9. Electronic address: finla039@umn.edu.
² Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, 2635 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1M9; Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3. Electronic address: thea.franke@hiphealth.ca.
³ Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, 2635 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1M9; Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3. Electronic address: heather.mckay@ubc.ca.
⁴ Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, 2635 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1M9; Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3. Electronic address: simsg@mail.ubc.ca.

PMID: 25982704
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.05.001

Abstract

This paper extends the concept of therapeutic landscapes by investigating how green and blue spaces affect older adult health and wellbeing. We draw on interview data from participants aged 65-86 years old who described their everyday experiences with green and especially blue spaces across Metro Vancouver, Canada. Landscapes embedded with therapeutic qualities included parks, gardens, street greenery, lakes, and the ocean. Interactions with these spaces influenced participants' perceived physical, mental, and social health. Issues of safety, accessibility, and personal perception complicated this relationship. Overall, the findings indicate that nature plays a nuanced and influential role in the everyday lives of older adults. Better understanding how older adults experience health and landscape is critical towards developing everyday contact with nature that can improve quality of life for ageing populations.

Keywords: Canada; Health geography; Older adults; Therapeutic landscapes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged / psychology*
Aged, 80 and over / psychology*
Aging / psychology
British Columbia
Female
Health Status*
Humans
Lakes
Male
Oceans and Seas*
Parks, Recreational*
Personal Satisfaction*
Quality of Life

Grants and funding

AAM-108607/Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada