A Comparative Study of Residents’ Quality of Life in Dementia Care Facilities: Traditional Settings vs. Green Care Farms

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the differences in behavior and quality of life between residents with dementia living in a traditional care facility and those residing on a green care farm.<br/>Methods: Conducted in Vancouver, Canada, and Laarbeek, the Netherlands, this observational study utilized a mixed sampling strategy that combined random and purposive sampling. Nine residents with dementia participated in the research. The physical environments were evaluated using the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH), while data on participants’ behaviors and quality of life were gathered through Dementia Care Mapping (DCM).<br/>Results: The evaluation of the physical environments indicated that the green care farm provides a more enriched, sensory, and homelike atmosphere compared to the traditional facility. Residents at the green care farm engaged more frequently in social interactions and demonstrated higher levels of positive engagement such as movements related to daily routines than those residing in the traditional facility.<br/>Conclusion/Implications: This study suggests evidence that well-designed physical environments can exert both direct or indirect positive effects on the behavior and quality of life of older adults with dementia.