Richard Titus Photographics

Senior facility landscaping includes therapeutic obstacles

Merwick Care and Rehabilitation Center honored for therapy garden that combines beauty with mental inspiration while providing the environmental challenges that will help its residents train for real life

By Healthcare Facilities Today


Merwick Care and Rehabilitation Center, Plainsboro, N.J., won Vendome Healthcare Media’s inaugural Landscape Architecture Competition, in the senior living  therapy and landscape design category for its outdoor garden complete with real-world obstacles.

Merwick, a Windsor Healthcare Community, designed a Gold-winning therapy garden that combines landscape beauty with mental inspiration while providing the environmental challenges that will help its residents train for real life, according to an article on the Long-term Living Magazine website.

"It’s a vibrant 'rehab confidence course' of sorts—a multipart garden that snakes among all the other buildings on the campus and is viewable from many windows (including the lounge areas and the gym), while offering many subtle therapy challenges," the article said.

Amid the flowers and aesthetic greenery, this garden is paved with the surfaces and obstacles found in the real world, the article said. The garden’s landscape design includes sections of grass, gravel, brick, sand, rubber, bark mulch, asphalt and concrete so residents can gain confidence on various surfaces. One paved area is deliberately curved and graded, allowing residents to practice maneuvering their legs, walkers or wheelchairs along sloped concrete pavement and over concrete curbs.

Read the article.

 

 

 



January 16, 2014


Topic Area: Architecture


Recent Posts

Going Solar with No Upfront Costs

300 kW solar system and roof upgrade delivered with no upfront cost for medical center association.


Northwell Health Finds Energy Savings in Steam Systems

Case study: A proactive steam trap maintenance program is delivering millions in savings, fast payback and measurable carbon reductions across one of the nation’s largest health systems.


Endeavor Elmhurst Hospital Opens New 16-Bed Patient Observation Unit

The new patient unit marks the first completed project in a major campus expansion.


Sustainability as a Baseline in Healthcare Facilities

Hospitals can balance costs, build resilience and learn from global models for sustainable design to further their green goals.


Penobscot Valley Hospital Reports Data Security Incident

It immediately implemented its incident response procedures, took steps to secure systems and hired third-party forensic specialists to assist with an investigation.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.