Health promoting qualities in outdoor environments at residential care facilities for older adults – a research approach

The present research project focus on health and building design parameters for the development of outdoor environments at residential care facilities (RCF) for older adults. An objective of the project is to develop an evidence-based guideline and method för design, planning and evaluation. The starting point for the project is that outdoor environments at RCF often are difficult to reach from the indoor environment and not adapted for outdoor rehabilitation and outdoor stays. Most often, rehabilitation activities for older persons at RCF are performed indoors and older persons at RCF do not have the legal right to daily outdoor stays. Pending a development of outdoor rehabili-tation as well as changes in the regulations regarding access to daily outdoor stays, it is important to examine health promoting qualities in the outdoor environment. It is also important to focus on the older adult’s possibilities to move between indoor and outdoor environments to reduce the risk of feeling locked in. The present paper describes and discusses a mixed method approach that builds up the five sub-studies in the project.