There is an exponential growth of chronic diseases, especially in the elderly(1). As the Dr.Howard Koh and Dr.Anand Parekh explain, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is re-thinking ways to treat chronic disease and launching innovative care delivery models. How all this can be related to the presence of gardens in healthcare settings? Simply …
Research shows that gardening activities and spending time in therapeutic gardens have the potential to reduce the risk of developing dementia and improve the quality of life of persons with dementia. Challenging activities that require fluid thought processing combined with moderate physical activity are more likely to enhance cognitive functioning than routine activities 1. Analysis of a …
Studies indicate that older adults highly value contact with plants and natural environments 1 and interest in nature may increase with age 2. Research findings of residents at nursing facilities showed that desire to participate far exceeded actual participation in horticulture activities, suggesting that appropriate environments or programming may not have been available 3.
To be motivating and interesting and to encourage optimal performance, therapy is most effective if it is designed to meet each patient’s needs 4. Predictable environments where preferred activities can take place provide feedback necessary to correct motor behaviors and enables patients to engage in graded challenges to improve skills 5.
The risk for falls is 30-40 % higher among older people with muscle weakness, gait, and balance issues 1. The most effective intervention to reduce the risk of falls is exercise. Research shows a 12-20% reduction in rate of falls over an extended period of time among the elderly who exercise at regular intervals 2, 3.
