Concurrent Trials on Nature-Based Therapy for Inpatients in Dementia and Rehabilitation Medicine Wards

Launched by CHANGI GENERAL HOSPITAL · Jul 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether spending time in nature, through activities like forest bathing and gardening therapy, can help improve the well-being of two groups of hospital patients: older adults with dementia and patients recovering from brain injuries such as stroke. The study will take place in specially designed therapeutic gardens at Changi General Hospital in Singapore. The goal is to see if these nature-based activities, guided by a trained therapist, can boost physical health, mood, and overall quality of life for patients and their caregivers.

People who might join this study include adults aged 65 to 100 who have dementia and can communicate in English, Mandarin, Malay, or Chinese dialects, and who can focus for at least 30 minutes. It also includes adults aged 21 to 100 who are recovering from brain injuries and have some ongoing physical or cognitive challenges, or mood-related issues like depression or anxiety. Participants will take part in personalized nature-based therapy sessions tailored to their abilities. However, patients who are very unwell, unable to consent, or under strict isolation rules will not be eligible. This is a pilot study, meaning it’s an early step to see if this kind of therapy could be helpful as part of hospital care.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Patients with dementia:
• • 1. Age 65-100 years old
• • 2. Have a diagnosis of delirium/ dementia or both.
• • 3. Have diagnosis of dementia with and without behavioural symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
• • 4. Ability to communicate with the Nature-based Therapist (in languages such as English, Mandarin Chinese, Chinese dialects or Malay)
• • 5. Manageable behavioural symptoms and able to focus attention for minimum of 30 minutes
• Rehabilitation Medicine patients:
• • 1. Age 21-100 years old
• • 2. Acquired brain injury with residual impairments, which can be either in the i) motor, and/or ii) cognitive domains, and/or iii) suspected or diagnosed mood disorders (including adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety disorders) -patients would then be stratified according to the category(s) of impairments both for consideration of interventions and for outcome measures/analysis
• • 3. Additional Physical/Cognitive Criteria required will depend on range of specific therapeutic activities that could be prescribed/administered (eg.at least 1 upper limb with Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) of at least 3/5, with ability for active grasp/release, ability to sustain attention for the duration of the session, cognitive Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score of at least 25 points etc)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. In isolation due to contact, droplet or airborne precautions
• • 2. Unable to provide consent and lack of surrogate decision maker to provide consent
• • 3. Poorly managed psychiatric or behaviour symptoms with threats to others surrounding them.
• • 4. Age \< 21 years
• • 5. Patients who are haemodynamically unstable.
• • 6. Patients on strict bed rest