Accommodating Culturally Meaningful Activities in Outdoor Settings for Older Adults

A growing multicultural aging population necessitates an examination of the cultural responsiveness of American healthcare environments in enabling successful aging experiences. Environment-behavior studies establish positive effects of natural environments on the well-being of older adults. This study explored cultural differences in nature-related activities among Hispanic and Anglo-American elderly using six photographs of nature settings to elicit nature-related preferences and experiences. Findings indicate that Hispanic elderly find “furnished” natural settings more compatible with their preferred activities such as group-oriented socializing while Anglo-American elderly prefer “authentic” natural settings for preferred activities such as quiet reflection. Culture specific programming and design implications are discussed.