Therapeutic Gardening: A Factor in Choosing Healthcare Facilities

1. ❦ Does the garden give a For more information
home-like feel? Check these additional publications in the
Plants are memory-prompters and can lead to Therapeutic Gardening Series:
“I remember when” stories. Typical plants you • Benefits for Healthcare Facilities, RG 109
might expect to see in a Midwest residential • Creating Raised Bed Planters, RG 111
healthcare facility would include roses, lilacs, • Gardening Tips for Older Adults, RG 107
peonies, daylilies, and hollyhocks. • Resources, RG 110
❦ Are there opportunities Check these Web sites:
for active involvement? ISU Extension Distribution Center
Involvement in the care of the garden can Online Store—
provide meaningful activity, and can be www.extension.iastate.edu/store
comforting to residents, families, staff, and
community members. Gardening also provides ISU Horticulture—
www.yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu
physical exercise and activity that can have
important positive physical and emotional
health benefits.
Reiman Gardens— A Factor in
❦ Is horticultural programming
www.reimangardens.iastate.edu
If you want to learn more about horticulture Choosing
offered to residents?
Horticultural activities and opportunities to
through training and volunteer work, ask your
ISU Extension office for information about the
ISU Extension Master Gardener program.
Healthcare
Facilities
be outdoors should be regularly scheduled.
Activities can be as simple as a spring picnic or
a container gardening competition. Regularly Prepared by Susan Erickson, PLaCE Program
scheduled outdoor gatherings should be a part Coordinator; Cindy Haynes, extension horticul-
of every healthcare facility’s programming. turist; and Diane Nelson, extension communi-
Garden locations, when well designed, can be cation specialist. Illustrations by Jane Lenahan,
successfully used for physical, occupational, extension graphic designer.
and recreation therapy. Therapists often find
that patients get more enjoyment out of out-
door therapy and therefore also receive more
benefit from the therapy.
File: Hort and LA 2
Therapeutic gardens can be an important fac- Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8
and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of
tor in easing the transition between home and Agriculture. Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension Service,
other housing situations. Garden spaces may Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.
allow continuation of hobbies, such as growing . . . and justice for all
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination
tomatoes or nurturing roses, that were formerly in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
enjoyed in a home setting. Best practices at a origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
healthcare facility include offering comforting apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in
and inviting amenities both indoors and alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimi-
nation, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten
outdoors for patients, visitors, and staff. Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.
RG 108 May 2006

2. E valuating a healthcare facility for yourself ❦ Can you access the garden?
Facilities with quality therapeutic gardens
❦ What kind of seating is available?
Seating should be provided for all types of
or a loved one is a daunting task. Factors such
as location, staff qualifications, and staff to provide safe, unrestricted access for residents weather and all times of day. Benches and
resident ratios are just a few of the important and their guests. Safety is a primary concern individual chairs with arm rests plus both sta-
considerations. so some type of enclosure may be necessary. tionary and moveable seating should be offered.
Some residents will require assistance and/or Also look for seating that accommodates both
But what about the outdoor amenities? supervision in the garden. Ideally, daily access individuals alone in quiet contemplation plus
Well-designed landscapes provide therapeutic to the outdoors should be available for all resi- small and large groups for conversation and to
benefits to physical, emotional, and mental dents when weather conditions permit. watch neighborhood activity.
health. Families, visitors, and staff all experi-
ence an enhanced quality of life when acces- Directional signs should be in evidence to ❦ Does the garden include places
sible outdoor spaces are available. help visitors find the garden and invite them of interest and activities for families
to enter. and children as well as residents?
Research has shown what many of us already Families and friends tend to visit more often if
sense is true: exposure to nature is therapeutic ❦ Do the gardens include paved there is something to do. Paved pathways, bird
to humans and offers many positive physical pathways for walking? feeders, sculptures, and colorful plantings can
and emotional benefits. Patients who spend Pathways should have a smooth, non-skid sur- enhance a visit to a loved family member. Addi-
10 minutes or more in a garden have been face and be wide enough for two wheelchairs tional garden features that could prompt visitor
shown to have improvements in behavior, to pass. Paving may be tinted to reduce glare. interest might include a playhouse for young
pulse rate, blood pressure, weight, and visitors, watering cans and access to water,
vitamin D levels. Looped pathways with landmarks (benches, garden-size chess or checkers, or a putting green.
bird feeders, wind chimes) allow residents to
Consider the following questions when visiting find their way without becoming disoriented. ❦ Does the garden provide luxurious
potential healthcare facilities. foliage with abundant flowers?
Thriving foliage and flowers are pleasant to see,
❦ Are attractive outdoor touch, and smell, and have been proven to be
spaces available? stress-relievers. Sick or dead
Every healthcare facility should have some out- plants can bring negative
door space. For maximum therapeutic benefit thoughts so a well-
outdoor spaces should include a profusion of maintained garden is
lush vegetation and flowers; a water feature for important to emotional
soothing sound and sight; pleasant open views; and mental health.
visible wildlife, such as birds and butterflies;
and sounds of nature, such as rustling leaves
and grasses.
A well-designed therapeutic garden provides
opportunity for exercise to help increase muscle
tone, quiet spaces for meditiation, gathering
places for conversation, sensory reminders,
and stress relief.