The overall goals of our project is to understand the effects of participating in park visits and nature-based activities for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Nature-based activities such as park visits can have beneficial effects on quality of life, psychological symptoms and physical health. However, there may be barriers for people with dementia and their caregivers that may prevent them from engaging in park visits. 

We will first complete assessments of local area parks in Calgary, Canada to determine accessibility for people with dementia. Interviews with people with dementia and their caregivers will then be undertaken to understand their experiences and perspectives on nature-based activities. The information from the park assessments and interviews will be used to inform the design of the Nature Connections park visit program. The Nature Connections park visit program will provide education sessions for 20 persons living with dementia and 20 caregivers highlighting the beneficial effects of park visits and address common barriers to participating in park visits. Following the education session participants will be provided with weekly telephone/internet support meetings for participants to share their experiences with park visits and to address any challenges individuals encountered when trying to complete their visits. The impact of park visits on quality of life, behaviours, and measures of stress for people with dementia and their caregivers will be assessed over 12 weeks. Following completion of the program participants will provide an evaluation of the Nature Connections program to understand their experience and satisfaction with the program. 

This project will provide new information about the effects of park visits as a practical strategy to improve the quality of life, psychological symptoms and measures of stress for both people with dementia and caregivers.