The Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Loneliness and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Adults Living in Nursing Home

The Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Loneliness and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Adults Living in Nursing Home

Loneliness in elderly individuals increases with age and negatively affects individuals by decreasing life satisfaction. In recent years, horticultural therapy is a type of therapy that has developed and is added routine care of elderly individuals living in nursing homes. Social interaction, life satisfaction, feelings of success and responsibility and increase while loneliness and depression levels decrease through human-nature interaction in horticultural therapy.

In our country, no study has been found on the effects of horticultural therapy on physical or mental health in elderly individuals. This research will be conducted as a randomized control group study to examine the effects of horticultural therapy on loneliness and life satisfaction in elderly individuals living in nursing homes.

In recent years, the elderly population is increasing in Turkey and around the world. In our country from 2002 to 2022, the number of elderly people receiving care increased 2.8 times. Elderly individuals frequently complain about loneliness and think that they are abandoned. Loneliness is a multidimensional concept consisting of emotional loneliness and social loneliness, and reported that it reduces life satisfaction in elderly individuals.

There are many non pharmacological applications aimed at reducing loneliness and increasing life satisfaction however in recent years, the use of horticultural therapy in the world has attracted attention. In horticultural therapy interventions, gardening activities are carried out using indoor and outdoor plants. The plants which is medicinal and aromatic selected according to culture and cultivation. The plants contribute to the improvement of physical and mental health by stimulating 5 senses that visual, hearing, tasting, touching and smell.

Horticultural therapy is important in terms of providing social activity, reducing loneliness and increasing life satisfaction in elderly individuals using the healing power of nature.

Horticultural therapy is also used by nurses who are mental health professionals. In Turkey, there is no study to examine effects of horticultural therapy effects on mental health in elderly individuals. It is thought that with this study, it will be important to apply a new method in our country and contribute to nursing science in non-pharmacological applications.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Over 60 years old,
• Being literate,
• Living in nursing home for at least 3 months,
• Not diagnosed with dementia,
• Mini Mental Test Score>24
• No additional neurological disease,
• No history of serious psychiatric illness,
• Not in the acute phase of a systemic disease,
• No vision or hearing loss that would hinder gardening activities,
• Does not have a physical disability that would hinder gardening activities,
• No history of falls,
• Not participating in different applications at the same time.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Does not meet the inclusion criteria,
• Persons with allergic reactions to soil and plants that may hinder with gardening activities.