Articles
HORTICULTURAL THERAPY: HORTICULTURE’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF DISABLED PEOPLE
Today, a broader range of definitions are recognized, ranging from plant cultivation to the appreciation of landscape.
The level of interest in the subject is illustrated by a diversity of concerned professions from architects to providers of care and support for people with disabilities.
Research at the University of Bath ranged from techniques of plant cultivation to landscape designs suitable for a wide range of people, including those with learning difficulties, physical disabilities, and the frail and the elderly.
The underlying aim was to encourage active and/or passive involvement with plants, to produce systems successful enough to give therapists confidence in using horticulture as a therapeutic tool or to provide settings where people are able to develop their own interests and improve their quality of life.
Demographic trends in Britain have resulted in an increase in the proportion of elderly people in the population and most significantly in the very old.
In later years the research at Bath focused on the design and modification of landscape and gardens for older people.
Current research at the Research Institute for Care of the Elderly is progressing this work by exploring older people’s attitudes to, and preferences for, the outdoor environment.
Work at Reading University is also exploring the influences of contact with nature on human psychological well-being, and the role urban landscapes can play in promoting environmental care and enabling sustainable development.
There is increasing interest in the benefits of landscapes and plants to children, both as part of the education curriculum and as an agent for improved social, psychological and physical development.
Current research at Learning through Landscapes is looking at the design, use and management of school grounds for children with special needs.