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Developing a multisensory methodology to explore older people's landscape experience in Australian aged-care facilities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2021

Mimi Tsai Open the ORCID record for Mimi Tsai [Opens in a new window] ,
Mark Brough  and
Debra Flanders Cushing
Mimi Tsai*
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Mark Brough
Affiliation:
School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Debra Flanders Cushing
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: mimi.tsai@qut.edu.au
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Abstract

This paper aims to develop a sensory methodological framework to explore older user's landscape experience. Applying empirical experience in Australian aged-care facilities, it addresses a methodological gap in the current literature to help move beyond the current taken-for-granted approaches such as interviews, cognitive mapping, behavioural observation and visual methods. We propose a more holistic method which enables the exploration of older people's in situ environmental experience. The multisensory framework we propose here is based on the first author's doctoral fieldwork experience that took place in two aged-care facilities in Brisbane, Australia. Findings suggest this framework facilitates an understanding of users’ olfactory, auditory and visual responses to the physical environment, and promotes a deeper engagement with the landscape. We argue that this is essential to promoting good landscape design which genuinely connects with older people's needs.

Keywords

sensorymultisensory methodsaged-careolder peoplego-alongdigital storytellinglandscape experiencegarden
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 43 , Issue 7 , July 2023 , pp. 1707 - 1729
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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