Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of an intervention of the horticultural activities program in elderly people with mild to moderate dementia.

Methods: The study design was a before–after study. The subjects were 11 elderly people with dementia. The horticultural activities program was developed to support mental, behavioral, social, and cognitive aspects of well-being in elderly patients. The program was conducted once a week for a total of six weeks. Vitality Index (VI) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to determine the effects of the horticultural activities program.

Results: The results showed that VI and MMSE scores significantly improved immediately after intervention compared with those at baseline. In addition, the scores significantly decreased after 1 month of intervention compared with those immediately after the intervention.

Conclusion: In this study, VI and MMSE scores of elderly people with mild to moderate dementia improved after participation in the horticultural activities program. However, as the number of subjects was small in the present study, further studies are required to fully elucidate the effects of a horticultural activities program.