抄録
This survey investigated the use of gardens at medical or welfare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic
and their effect on garden users. Gardens are less likely to be the three Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, and
close contact). Therefore, there were relatively few restrictions on use even in medical and welfare facilities. We
found that gardens functioned as places where hospital outpatients, elderly care facility residents, and staff could
feel safe. For volunteers working in the gardens, the opportunity to connect with others through the gardens even
during the COVID-19 pandemic is thought to have contributed to maintaining their social health. In addition,
facility staff may have used the gardens as a way to cope with the great stress of the infectious disease. This
survey revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, gardens at medical or welfare facilities served as a place of
refuge for people with various attributes who used the gardens.
