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Therapeutic model
Published in Rebecca L. Haller, Karen L. Kennedy, Christine L. Capra, The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy, 2019
In the United States, guidelines for characteristics of therapeutic garden spaces were initially developed by the AHTA (Kavanaugh 1995), and more recently by the American Society of Landscape Architects, based on best practices and evidence-based design principles. As defined by the AHTA (2013), a therapeutic garden is “a plant-dominated environment purposefully designed to facilitate interaction with the healing elements of nature.” There is a high degree of correlation between the intended programming of a garden and the physical design, which contributes to improving the care for patients, residents, and clients. Therapeutic benefits from garden environments provide relief from physical symptoms, an opportunity to reduce stress, and an overall sense of well-being (Barnes and Cooper Marcus 1999). Understanding the characteristics of therapeutic gardens is an essential skill set for the practicing horticultural therapist, and all models—therapeutic, vocational, and social—use a therapeutic garden as a tool to engage a participant in horticultural activities. Horticultural therapy sessions often start at the garden gate, and there are distinct users of indoor and outdoor horticultural therapy gardens and spaces. They are patients, clients or participants, employees, and visitors (Neducin et al. 2010). Disability does not define someone. Rather their age, physical skills, and psychological needs determines how they might use an indoor or outdoor space. Are they children, elders, people with injuries, those who are recovering from surgery, patients in physical rehabilitation, individuals recovering from a concussion, those with psychiatric issues, or people who are undergoing chemotherapy with suppressed immune systems? As previously mentioned in this Chapter under The treatment setting, providing a supportive horticultural therapy environment is paramount. This includes focusing on the safety of participants, providing accessible areas of quiet, establishing well-defined perimeters, using plants safe for people–plant interactions, and creating areas that are unified and easy to comprehend or navigate as participants will use the spaces in unique and various ways, depending on their circumstances, capabilities, and desires.
Personalized treatment interventions: nonpharmacological and natural treatment strategies in Alzheimer’s disease
Published in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2021
Marina Sagud, Lucija Tudor, Nela Pivac
Our opinion is, given some well-documented benefits of nonpharmacological treatments, that at least some of those interventions should be offered in all facilities taking care of patients with AD. While, for example, in acute wards procedures such as massage, exercising, music or light therapy may be delivered, in chronic settings patients may also participate in cognitive training, therapeutic gardens, or interact with therapy animals. The choice for each person is made upon the disease stage, leading behavioral symptoms, availability of certified staff, cognitive capacity, somatic fitness, and individual preferences. The purpose of nonpharmacological treatment is not limited to symptom alleviation. It may also decrease psychotropic drug consumption, improve quality of life, bring some joy, stress relief, and relaxation, evoke pleasant memories, and make life more meaningful, even in people in more advanced dementia stages. The majority of procedures are easy to perform in different settings and are cost-effective. However, caution is needed to prevent injuries or overstimulation. State-of-the-art care for AD patients should always include teamwork. In the absence of curative treatment, the key to success is the alleviation of symptoms, a decrease of isolation and loneliness, and a maximal increase in time spent in pleasurable and, if possible, creative activities, which is best achieved by a personalized approach.
Addressing Correctional Staff Stress through Interaction with Nature: A New Role for Occupational Therapy
Published in Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 2018
Amy Wagenfeld, Julie Stevens, Barb Toews, Sarah Jarzembowski, Nora Ladjahasan, Jade Stewart, Chanel Raddatz
Interest in nature/person relationships and the role of therapeutic gardens and other green spaces in reducing stress and supporting health and well-being has expanded over the last decade. Much of the focus has been on healthcare settings, with little on correctional settings and more so, the individuals who work in them. The little existing research suggests that exposure to nature provides therapeutic benefits for both incarcerated individuals and staff (Van Der Linden, 2015). For instance, Farbstein, Farling, and Wener (2012) explored physiological and psychological effects of viewing nature scenes on correctional staff. Following installation of a mural with nature images in the intake area at a correctional facility, it was found that intake officers experienced lower heart rates and reduced stress throughout the duration of their shifts as compared to when there was no mural to view. A connection with nature is key to health and well-being in humans and by design, therefore, of interest to the occupational therapy profession across practice settings, including correctional institutions.