Publication Date

3-1977

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Richard Miller, David Shiek, Sheila McKenzie

Degree Program

Department of Psychology

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

An attempt was made to evaluate the institutional services provided by a community mental health center's geriatric program. Intervention by geriatric staff involved the use of gardening as a form of activity (remotivational) therapy. It was hypothesized that by involving personal care home client: in gardening, an increase in clients' morale and sociability would be observed. The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and Stockton Geriatric Rating Scale were used to assess changes in these areas. Croup 1 contained five clients who actively engaged in gardening. Group 2 contained 17 clients who, although not actively involved in the garden, were nonetheless exposed to it in more indirect ways. Statistically nonsignificant results for both groups indicated that gardening did not produce markedly positive changes in clients' morale and sociability. However, positive trends on Morale Scale scores and behavioral observations indicated that Gardening, as an intervention program for the institutionalized elderly, did improve the quality of their lives.

Disciplines

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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