OUT-FIT
Short description
OUT-FIT is a research project that explores how outdoor environments at residential care facilities, assisted living homes and day centres can promote health and well-being for older people and support staff in their work. The project also investigates the impact of outdoor activities, such as walks, on health and care practices. Through several sub-studies, OUT-FIT aims to generate national-level insights into the needs and preferences of older people and staff regarding outdoor spaces. The project will also contribute to developing an evidence-based approach for designing, planning and evaluating outdoor environments in connection with the construction or renovation of residential care facilities.
Background
In sustainable cities and communities, all individuals should be able to live and participate on equal terms, regardless of physical and/or cognitive abilities, and in both indoor and outdoor environments. A recognised need in urban planning is the development of outdoor environments that are adapted for older people and care staff.
Nature Contact and Outdoor Activity
Contact with nature and time spent outdoors promote health in general, and particularly among older adults. In care settings, such as residential care facilities and day centres, outdoor environments are often difficult to access from indoor spaces and are not designed to accommodate outdoor activities or the provision of care, support, and rehabilitation. At present, there are no national regulations in place to ensure access to outdoor environments for older people in the final years of life, nor are there guidelines for outdoor time for those unable to move independently between indoor and outdoor spaces. Contact with nature and outdoor time also promote staff well-being, which may be reflected in the relocation of some tasks outdoors or the provision of designated outdoor areas for staff use during breaks.
Design of Physical Environments
Awareness of the role of the physical environment in promoting physical and psychological well-being is high on the political agenda, both nationally and internationally, and includes environments for healthcare, social care, and rehabilitation. In Sweden, increasing attention is being paid to individuals whose disabilities and diagnoses require special consideration in the design of physical environments. Healthcare systems are becoming increasingly evidence-based, and there is a growing demand for research-informed practice in environmental design. This includes the development of evidence-based design strategies for physical environments used in care and rehabilitation as a means of ensuring quality and efficacy.
Aim
To conduct sub-studies that enhance knowledge of the physical outdoor environments where older people live and where care staff work. Furthermore, to explore outdoor time, person-centred walking interventions, and person-centred care, support, and rehabilitation delivered in outdoor settings.
Objectives
- To improve the quality of life for older adults in residential care facilities, assisted living, and day centres by increasing access to outdoor environments and opportunities for outdoor activity in a broad sense.
- To enable care staff to provide care, support, and rehabilitation in outdoor environments, thereby supporting the health and well-being of both staff and residents.
Ongoing Research within the OUT-FIT Project
- Access to outdoor environments and outdoor time in residential care facilities for older adults – insights based on three national Swedish mapping studies.
- Development of an evidence-based guideline on key environmental qualities for older adults and care staff in residential care facilities.
- Translation of the evidence-based guideline into a practical, evidence-based working method for the design, planning and evaluation of outdoor environments in connection with new construction or renovation of residential care facilities.
- Regular person-centred outdoor walks and their impact on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) among older adults living in residential care facilities.
- How reductions in BPSD among residents affect staff working conditions following the implementation of regular person-centred outdoor walks in residential care facilities.
- Mapping access to outdoor environments for older adults living in assisted housing.
- Outdoor environments as lunch settings – how contact with nature and time spent outdoors supports health, recovery, and work capacity among care staff.