‘The nourishing soil of the soul’: The role of horticultural therapy in promoting well-being in community-dwelling people with dementia

Abstract

Two-thirds of people with dementia reside in their own homes; however, support for community-dwelling people with dementia to continue to participate in everyday activities is often lacking, resulting in feelings of depression and isolation among people living with the condition. Engagement in outdoor activities such as gardening can potentially counteract these negative experiences by enabling people with dementia to interact with nature, helping to improve their physical and psychological well-being. Additionally, the collaborative nature of community gardening may encourage the development of a sense of community, thereby enhancing social integration. Despite increasing evidence supporting its therapeutic value for people with dementia in residential care, the benefits of horticultural therapy have yet to be transposed into a community setting. This paper will examine the theoretical support for the application of horticultural therapy in dementia care, before exploring the potential of horticultural therapy as a means of facilitating improved physical and psychological well-being and social integration for people living with dementia within the community.

Farming for Life Quality and Sustainability: A Literature Review of Green Care Research Trends in Europe

“…Some of the differences between those approaches are in the level of care and therapy provided [ 16 ]. Those interventions done within structured rehabilitation or health programs with clearly defined patient-orientated goals are commonly defined with the terms therapy or care such as therapeutic horticulture, therapeutic gardening or care farming [ 67 ]. In care farming and social farming the objectives are more related to conducting meaningful occupational activities and achieving employment goals at real production and commercial farms [ 40 ] and especially within social farming the therapeutic intent is not so explicit, with the aim being to promote innovation and collaboration pathways between sectors in local communities following social and employment inclusion and integration principles [ 68 ].…”

Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Asian Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…One of the core objectives of HT is to promote social support and sharing amongst the participants. Noone et al (2015) demonstrated that communal gardening with its collaborative features, may instil a sense of belonging to the community, hence improving social integration [11]. …”

Leprosy Resilience with Disabilities Due to Illness: A Qualitative Study

“…Gardening can provide significant benefits to mental health (Quick et al, 2017). It can also improve physical and psychological wellbeing, reduce social isolation, reduce anxiety, and depression (Noone et al, 2017). In addition to improving mental health and physical health, gardening can also improve cognitive function (Chan et al, 2017).…”