[[alternative]]To Verify the Effectiveness of Horticultural Therapy for the Health Status and well-being of Dementia Elderly

[[abstract]]失智症之盛行率與發生率隨著年齡的增加而遞增，因為隨著年齡增長，生理退化對於中樞神經系統的影響包含大腦工作狀態、血流量減少及神經細胞喪失，導致生理活動功能衰退、認知狀態改變、社交互動障礙及情緒躁動起伏變大，目前台灣罹患失智症的患者逾26萬人，其中高齡長者罹患失智症將近24萬人，該群體長者因認知、精神躁動行為的增加、身體功能變差導致人際互動出現改變，進而影響其日常生活，使得主要照顧者及個案出現家庭紛爭及照護負荷加劇等相關問題產生，故如何改善失智長者健康狀態是一項重要的議題。 本研究目的旨在探討園藝治療活動介入對社區日間照顧中心(含銀髮俱樂部及公共托老中心)輕、中度失智長者之成效。採類實驗研究設計，針對北部接受日間照顧中心(含銀髮俱樂部及公共托老中心)照護之65歲以上，輕、中度失智長者為對象，收案36位，實際完成試驗數為33位。採單組前後測，進行每週2次，每次60分鐘，為期6週之園藝治療活動，由研究者擔任活動引導者，以團體方式進行活動，60分鐘訓練內容包含前後5分鐘之暖場活動及50分鐘之主題訓練。介入前後之健康狀態，以簡易智能評估表確認認知程度、以巴氏量表確認身體功能、以康乃爾失智者憂鬱量表中文版確認情緒狀態、以團體活動參與觀察紀錄確認社交互動情形；以園藝治療效益福祉評估表確認福祉效益部分。資料回收後以IBM SPSS 22 for Windows統計軟體進行描述性統計與推論性統計分析，以描述性統計和推論性統計進行回收資料的統計分析。研究結果顯示失智長者接受園藝治療後肢體運動強度、興趣嗜好、心情放鬆程度、成就感、決策力、社交技巧和園藝技術比之前好，對於不同屬性的失智長者福祉效益提升程度有差異。失智長者參與園藝治療後，認為園藝治療能改善健康並且其效益存在成立。因此建議未來日間照顧中心可以多加推廣園藝治療活動，幫助更多失智長者獲得健康。[[abstract]]The increasing prevalence and incidence of dementia varied with increasing age. The age-related physiological deterioration in central nervous system (including: brain dysfunction, reduction in cerebral blood flow, and nerve cell loss) can be presented in physiological activity decline, cognitive dysfunction, social interaction and emotional turbulences.At present, there are more than 260,000 patients suffering from dementia in Taiwan, of which approximately 240,000 patients with dementia are older adults. The older adults with dementia have changed their interpersonal interactions and daily life due to cognitive change, mental agitation, and physical dysfunction, which may cause related problems such as family disputes and increased care loads in dementia patients and their main caregivers. As a result, how to improve the health status of demented elders has become an important issue.The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of horticultural treatment (HT) activities in the community-based day care centers (including: seniors clubs and public care centers) for older adults with mild to moderate dementia. We conducted a quasi-experimental study in Northern Taiwan. Thirty-six older adults over the age of 65 years with mild to moderate dementia in the day care center (including: seniors clubs and public care centers) were enrolled in this study. A total of 33 subjects completed this survey.We applied a single-group pretest-posttest designed study. All subjects were given 6-week HT activates twice a week (60 minutes per treatment). The researchers acted as facilitators. The group-based 60-minute HT activity included 5-minute warm-up and 50-minute theme training. In order to evaluate the health status before and after interventions, we applied the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to confirm the cognitive levels