Older Adults
Category: Older Adults, physical health, mental health
Title: Reduced stress and improved physical functional ability in elderly with mental health problems following a horticultural therapy program (2018)
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.03.011
Summary: This study investigates the effects of 10 horticultural therapy sessions on 14 older adults’ physical and mental health. Results found improved fitness and lower stress compared to the control group. The study design provides examples of self-reported fitness questionnaires.
Category: Older Adults, therapeutic design
Title: Indoor Nature Interventions for Health and Wellbeing of Older Adults in Residential Settings: A Systematic Review (2020)
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz019
Summary: Most studies examine therapeutic horticulture outdoors; however, this review examines the potential health benefits of indoor gardening for older adults. Whilst the review finds inconsistent health benefits between studies it does highlight several factors which successful programs may support. Namely, supporting groups to interact socially, and individuals to feel in control of their experiences and to learn skills.
Category: Older adults, Dementia and Cognitive Health
Title: Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Asian Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2018)
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15081705
Summary: 29 older adults participated in 6 months of horticultural therapy within this RCT. Comparative to the control group, these adults experienced greatly improved feelings of social connectedness. Furthermore, their blood when examined showed reduction of markers which may indicate that horticultural therapy reduced inflammation, decreasing the risk of dementia.
Category: Older adults, Dementia and Cognitive Health
Title: Comparing the Effectiveness of the Frequency and Duration of the Horticultural Therapy Program on Elderly Women with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia (2020)
Link: https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2020.23.1.35
Summary: The effect of a 15 session horticultural therapy program on health and well-being of women with mild cognitive impairment and dementia was examined. Results indicate that both short term treatment of 7 weeks and long term treatment of 15 weeks successfully improved participants feelings of satisfaction with life and reduced reported depression. Differences were found in the rate of improvement between these different programme lengths, leading to recommendations to have longer programmes with less weekly sessions for this specific service user group.