Nature-based group activities can reduce feelings of loneliness, improve sleep and cognition, and increase a sense of connection to nature in older adults living in care homes.
This nature-focused activity, which included field trips and interaction with the natural world, promoted well-being and health through peer support and activity content.
Over a period of just nine weeks, weekly group activities have already been shown to reduce feelings of loneliness in study subjects, improve sleep and memory, and improve their sense of connection to nature. Our research also highlighted the need for older people in care homes to visit outdoor environments and nature more frequently. ”
Professor Kais Pitkala, Director of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki
Frail and lonely elderly people benefit from the natural environment
The researchers were surprised by the positive results despite the fact that the participants had multiple medical conditions and that the conditions for the nature-based activities could be difficult, both weather and transportation, as all participants were traveling in wheelchairs or accessible taxis. According to Pitkala, a longer period of time would only have further enhanced the results.
The researchers trained 52 group instructors at a Helsinki-based care home who then disseminated the nature-based practice.
“Frail older people have many resources, and by strengthening them we support their well-being and health. More than half of care home residents experience loneliness, which is a risk factor for health and memory comparable to smoking or obesity. Loneliness is not something you can see on the outside; you need to ask older people about it,” Pitkala points out.
The Circle of Friends program of the Finnish Association for the Welfare of the Elderly has attracted more than 13,000 adults in group activities in more than 100 municipalities. Even after official activities end, 65% of the groups continue to operate independently.
“This study is an important step in non-drug treatment, but relatively few studies have been conducted in frail older adults with memory loss who receive 24-hour care,” summarizes Pitkala.
The study involved 319 older people, with an average age of 83, living in care homes and experiencing loneliness. Just over half of the participants had memory problems. They were randomly divided into two groups, one of which participated in a nature-based group activity.
sauce:
University of Helsinki
References:
- Pitkara, Kentucky; Others. (2026) Effectiveness of a nature-based group intervention on loneliness and health-related quality of life in lonely older adults living in nursing homes – a randomized controlled trial, age and aging. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afag009. https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/55/2/afag009/8460038
- Pitkara, Kentucky; Others. (2026) Effects of a nature-based group intervention on cognition and connection to nature in lonely older adults living in assisted living facilities—a secondary analysis of an RCT. American Medical Directors Association Journal. DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2026.106203. https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(26)00093-9/fulltext
