Gardening Programs for Seniors,
Why some are successful and others aren't
The following is part 1 of a true story about a horticultural therapy program in central Florida a few years ago that almost failed. This is adapted from Dirty Hands and Active Minds, a horticultural therapy course Hank Bruce offers for activity professionals and senior care communties.
Dr. Bennett was reviewing the activities program with the Three Hills Senior Center when they walked out onto the patio. The landscaping crew was busy trimming the shrubs and cleaning the flower beds while maintenance was cleaning the fountain. There wasn’t a resident in sight.
“I thought you had a horticultural therapy program here,” Dr Bennett commented as he walked over to a raised bed with a few withered plants crying for a drink.
“Oh, we tried it,” Betty responded, but there was little interest. “We brought in a series of speakers, but few attended the lectures.”
Dr. Bennett sat down at the concrete table, almost too hot to touch in the blistering hot afternoon sun. “Did you contact the horticultural therapist I recommended? Did you get the project books on the list?”
“Well, NO.” Betty responded with a touch of pride in her voice, “We found a master gardener who volunteered. Didn’t cost us a penny.”
“Do you have a list of goals and objectives for your program?” he continued.
“Why, the objective was to get them off their duffs and out here with the flowers. Maintenance has gone to a lot of effort to clean this place up for them.” After a pause, she continued, “I have a lot of work to do and I don’t think this is working.”
“I see,” he was now frowning, “But, I sent you the program outline from Sterling Oaks. Didn’t you follow that?”
"Naw. The master gardener said that they might not take proper care of the plants, and they would die.”
A Dozen reasons why this program died:
1. There were no stated goals. Why are we doing this?
2. The residents were treated as spectators rather than active participants. It never became their program.
3. Few on the staff were aware of the existence of the program, and didn’t have a clue as to why they were doing it. It just looked like more work to them.
4. The courtyard area where the program was to take place had no shade, and the gardens were not accessible. The location for the activities, indoors and out must be comfortable, safe and convenient.
5. Failure to understand that IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE, NOT THE PLANTS.
6. The master gardener had received no training in horticultural therapy theory or practice.
7. There was no mechanism in place to evaluate the program and individual participation or progress.
8. Activities and projects were not appropriate for clients age, ability, culture, education, seasonal flow.
9. There was no follow through and follow up of projects. Show off time.
10. Physical, emotional, and social factors were not integrated into the activities.
11. Failure to include the clients in the decision making process.
12. Facility failure to understand the value of such a program.
People grow in the garden too
But, most important was the failure to accept the client’s potential as well as the limitations. So often we focus on the “Can’t do’s that we constrain the participant. This is true of children with special needs as well as seniors. Sp often, when we give the freedom to try we discover that both people and plants can grow in the garden. It’s called the People-Plant Connection.
In Part 2 we will discuss some special ways to make the experience more enjoyable fo all.
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