ABSTRACT
Using an established, self-contained garden area and improving its accessibility with raised beds, winding hard-surfaced pathways, comfortable seating areas and a garden water fountain, a trained horticultural therapist can direct, assist and encourage Alzheimer patients to recapture some of their pleasant, early life experiences in a naturalized setting.
Old-fashioned flowers and vegetables and fragrant, textured, edible plants help stimulate their tactile, olfactory, gustatory, as well as visual senses. The subtle trickling of water from a nearby garden fountain helps reach these patients on an auditory level. Planting, walking, working the soil with their hands … touching, smelling, seeing, listening, tasting… provides a serene, non-threatening positive experience that in some way improves quality of life. Short- and long-term goals are to help Alzheimer patients to reduce their periods of agitation and aggression.
