Effects of horticultural therapy: Perspectives of frail and pre-frail older nursing home residents.
Shirley K L Lo, Winsome Y Y Lam, Rick Y C Kwan and 3 others
PMID 31367449WHAT IT FOUND
Frail nursing home residents described weekly horticultural therapy as a pleasant, meaningful pastime that they said made them happier and gave them conversation.
Few staff talked about it outside sessions, and one disliked it for disrupting routines.
Key findings
01Twenty out of 22 interviewees said horticultural therapy was fun, kept them engaged and helped fill a boring day with purpose.
02Thirteen participants said they felt happier after joining the programme.
03Residents said very few staff members talked about horticultural therapy activities with them outside the sessions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study reports residents' perceptions; it does not test whether horticultural therapy improves mood, socialization or quality of life. Only 22 residents were interviewed from four homes run by one organization, and three interviews were too short to include, so the findings may not transfer to other homes or more severely impaired residents. Participants had to be able to communicate in Cantonese, articulate feelings and have normal or mildly impaired cognition, so the findings may not apply to residents with severe cognitive impairment or terminal illness. Interviews were brief, and the authors note low education and cultural reserve may have limited how much residents said. The therapy included a horticultural therapist, an intern, home staff support, group work and plant care, so the paper cannot separate which part residents valued. No member checking was done because of participants' frailty.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read residents' enjoyment as proof that horticultural therapy alone improved mood. The sessions also involved a therapist, an intern, home staff support, group work and plant care, and this qualitative paper cannot separate those components.