Healing gardens and cognitive behavioral units in the management of Alzheimer's disease patients: the Nancy experience.

The French Alzheimer Plan 2008-2012 anticipates the implementation of new Units specialized in cognitive rehabilitation and psycho-behavioral therapy of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Conceived for AD and other dementia patients of all ages, their objectives are to propose a cognitive rehabilitation program, to prevent or treat psycho-behavioral crises, and to provide support and educational therapy to the family and professional caregivers, in order to ease the patient's return to his or her previous way of life. Studies on green spaces and healing gardens in health-care settings have revealed objective and measurable improvements in the patient's well-being.

[Healing gardens: recommendations and criteria for design].

The French Alzheimer plan anticipates new specialized structures for cognitive rehabilitation and psycho-behavioural therapy of Alzheimer's patients: the cognitive-behavioural units as follow-care units, the units of reinforced hospitalization inside the long term care units and the adapted activities units. this plan indicates the need to make healing gardens integral parts of these units. The benefits of green space in urban environments has been demonstrated with regards to physical, psychological and sociological effects and similarly studies in hospitals have revealed objective and measurable improvements of patients well being.

Risk factors of relative adrenocortical deficiency in intensive care patients needing mechanical ventilation.

Objective: To study the factors associated with relative adrenocortical deficiency in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients.

Design And Setting: Prospective observational study in a multidisciplinary ICU of a university-affiliated teaching hospital.

Patients: Sixty-two consecutive, acutely ill patients needing mechanical ventilation for more than 24 h.