Gardening as a therapeutic occupation with people aged 65 years and over

Uvod: Delovna terapija je zdravstvena veda, ki deluje na fizičnem, psihičnem, kognitivnem, psihosocialnem in še mnogih drugih vidikih uporabnikovega delovanja. Delovni terapevt želi posamezniku omogočiti samostojno delovanje pri njemu pomembnih aktivnostih in okupacijah. Okupacija je za razliko od aktivnosti, edinstvena in ima za osebo smisel. Okupacije se oblikujejo na podlagi vlog, interesov in dnevnih aktivnosti. Tudi vrtnarjenje je lahko za posameznika okupacija, če ima zanj smisel in pomen. Namen: Namen diplomskega dela je ugotoviti, kako je vrtnarjenje vključeno v delovno terapevtsko obravnavo in kakšne so ugotovitve raziskav glede učinkov uporabe vrtnarjenja v delovno terapevtski obravnavi. Metode dela: Izvedli smo deskriptiven pregled literature. Za iskanje člankov smo uporabili baze: CINAHL, PubMed in Web of Science. Uporabili smo ključne besede: terapevtska okupacija, delovna terapija, vrtnarjenje, hortikultura, starejši odrasli, osebe nad 65 let (v slovenskem in angleškem jeziku). Glede na vključitvene in izključitvene kriterije ter vsebinsko ustreznost, smo v končno analizo vključili 12 virov. Rezultati: Ugotavljamo, da je vrtnarjenje aktivnost, ki jo delovni terapevti v obravnavi pogosto uporabijo. Uporabljajo ga individualno ali pa skupinsko. Vrtnarjenje je aktivnost, ki jo je mogoče zelo dobro prilagoditi potrebam posameznika. Vrtnarjenje pozitivno vpliva na fizično, duševno in kognitivno zdravje. Razprava in zaključek: Delovno terapevtska obravnava mora biti holistična in usmerjena na okupacijo. Pomembno je, da delovni terapevt uporabi pravilne pristope in ocenjevanja. Delovni terapevt vrtnarjenje izvaja takrat, kadar to posamezniku predstavlja smiselno aktivnost. Oseba se lahko aktivno ali pasivno vključuje v vrtnarjenje, kar je odvisno od njenih sposobnosti. Primerno mora biti tudi okolje, v katerem se vrtnarjenje izvaja in pa pripomočki, ki jih posamezniki uporabljajo. Spregledom literature smo ugotovili, da vrtnarjenje izboljša fizično kondicijo, zmanjša tveganje za padec, ohrani okupacijsko ravnovesje in pripomore k večji samostojnosti. Prav tako zmanjša stres in izboljša čustveno razpoloženje. Pozitivno učinkuje tudi na spomin in koncentracijo posameznika, poleg tega ga tudi senzorno stimulira.Introduction: Occupational therapy is a health care profession that focuses on physical, psychological, cognitive, psychosocial, and many other aspects of a person\u27s functioning. The occupational therapist\u27s role is to enable the individuals to function independently in occupations that are important for them. Occupation is a unique activity, with a greater meaning to the person. Occupations are formed based on our roles, interests and daily activities. Gardening can be an occupation for an individual as well, if it\u27s meaningful for him/her. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to determine how gardening is included in occupational therapy and what are the research findings regarding the implementation of gardening in occupational therapy practice. Methods: For writing our thesis, a descriptive method of the literature review was chosen. The databases that were used for searching the articles: CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science. The following keywords were used: therapeutic occupation, occupational therapy, gardening, horticulture, older adults, and people over 65 years (in Slovenian and English language). 12 articles were included in the final review according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and relevance. Results: We note that occupational therapists often include gardening in their practice. They use it individually or in groups. Gardening is an activity that can be very well adapted to the needs of the individual. Gardening has a positive effect on physical, mental, and cognitive health. Discussion and conclusion: Occupational therapy must be holistic, individualized, and occupation centered. The occupational therapist needs to use the correct approaches and evaluations. The occupational therapist uses gardening when it is presented as a meaningful activity. The environment for gardening must be suitable for individuals. Gardening improves physical endurance and strength, reduces the risk of falling, maintains occupational balance, and contributes to greater independence. It also reduces stress and improves one\u27s mood. It has a positive effect on memory and concentration and in addition, it activates all the senses