ISHS Acta Horticulturae 639: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Expanding Roles for Horticulture in Improving Human Well-Being and Life Quality
CONTRIBUTION OF PLANTS TO THE WELL-BEING OF RETIREMENT HOME RESIDENTS |
| Authors: | W. Brascamp, J.L. Kidd |
| Keywords: | horticulture and the elderly, people-plant interactions, gardens and life satisfaction, rest home landscapes, nature and the aging population |
| Abstract:
Due to early retirement and higher life expectancies, the needs and expectancies of retired people have changed from those who were traditionally regarded as the elderly. The current study focused on the implications of such changes for the ways in which the green environment of retirement homes can best contribute to residents’ well-being. Retirement home residents were interviewed about their past and present interactions with the green environment. Respondents were also asked how they would like to interact with plants and how important they believed such interactions were to their well-being and life satisfaction. Results clearly show the importance to retirement home residents of both the active and the passive component of interaction with the green environment. Discrepancies exist between their actual and ideal level of interaction with plants. The main reasons residents like to garden are associated with the therapeutic value of gardening, the satisfaction of seeing the results and being able to share this enjoyment with other residents. Health reasons are an important limiting factor to the enjoyment of gardening. The active component of involvement with the green environment is influenced more dramatically by the move to sheltered housing than the passive component. The latter is generally regarded as more important to one’s well-being and life satisfaction than active gardening. Having a view of a garden from indoors and the availability of a common outdoor passive recreational area are perceived as the most important types of passive involvement with the green environment. Results suggest issues that need addressing to fully realise the potential contribution of the green environment to the well-being of retirement home residents. | |
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