DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURAL THERAPY EVALUATION SYSTEM USING THREE ELEMENTS (PROGRAM-SUPPORT-CLIENT)

M. Toyoda
I presented an earlier paper, about a “Client evaluation sheet for QOL [quality of life] improvement” at the meeting of the Japanese Society of People-Plant Relationships in 2003. This paper reports further developments of a horticultural therapy evaluation system. It has been based on the assumption that the final aim of horticultural therapy (HT) was QOL improvement and as the ability in mental skills, social skills, and motor function improves through horticultural activities, QOL will be improved. Each evaluation item of mental skills, social skills and motor function was constructed to range from elementary concepts to practical or higher concepts. An evaluation system in an HT program for the elderly was developed in this study. The evaluation has five steps (client assessment, analysis of HT program, evaluation of HT volunteers’ support, client evaluation, and program evaluation). After using this evaluation system in a special nursing home for the elderly, the following results were found. It became easy to find where the reason for improvement or stagnation in any particular evaluation item for each client would lie. Also, as the purpose of the activities became clear to the HT volunteers, so that their support for the elderly could attain a productive level in a short time.
Toyoda, M. (2008). DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURAL THERAPY EVALUATION SYSTEM USING THREE ELEMENTS (PROGRAM-SUPPORT-CLIENT). Acta Hortic. 790, 55-61
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.790.5
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.790.5
horticultural therapy, evaluation, program, support, client, volunteer
English

Acta Horticulturae