Leisure activities are effective for elderly people. Although Leisure activities have many beneficial effects to elderly people, there are not enough leisure programs for them. Furthermore, elderly people's ability to participate in leisure activities...
Leisure activities are effective for elderly people. Although Leisure activities have many beneficial effects to elderly people, there are not enough leisure programs for them. Furthermore, elderly people's ability to participate in leisure activities is much in need of improvement. A study on horticultural well-being program based on leisure ability model for elderly people could be an effective solution for the problem. Therefore, this research focuses on a horticultural well-being program based on leisure ability model to leisure awareness and leisure ability, quality of life for elderly people in senior center. The research subjects are 37 elderly people who attend senior center in Seoul City. Out of the 37 people, horticultural well-being program based on leisure ability model was conducted on 13 people (Experimental group Ⅱ), while horticultural activity was conducted on 13 people (Experimental group Ⅰ). In addition, no program was conducted on the control group consisting of 11 people (control group). The research extended from February, 2009 to January 2010 during which a five steps: preliminary assessment, primary program, intermediate assessment, secondary program and post assessment. Total of 20 sessions of primary program were conducted by horticultural therapist once a week for 90minutes per session. and a total of 10 sessions of secondary program were conducted by elderly people who attend senior center. Primary horticultural well-being program was pass through four steps: development of confidence and awareness, ability development, ability to practical use, finish. According to the leisure ability model, the horticultural well-being program raised functional intervention service, leisure education service and recreation participation for each session. Secondary horticultural well-being program was pass through ability to practical step. Assesment were carried out prior to and after experimental group Ⅱ and experimental group Ⅰ using evaluation tools such as leisure awareness test tool, leisure desire test tool, leisure obstacle test tool, group cohesion test tool, quality of life test tool. In addition, intermediate assessment was conducted through daily record by each stage of Primary horticultural well-being program to only experimental group Ⅱ. The comparison prior to and after experimental group Ⅱ and experimental group Ⅰ respectively revealed significant improvements regarding leisure awareness for both experimental group Ⅱ and experimental group Ⅰ compared with the control group. And experimental group Ⅱ showed improvements for leisure awareness compared to the experimental group Ⅰ. Experimental group Ⅱ showed significant improvements for leisure desire compared to the experimental group Ⅰ and control group. However, significant difference was not found for experimental group Ⅰ and control group regarding responsibility for leisure desire. Experimental group Ⅱ showed significant decreases for leisure obstacle compared to the experimental group Ⅰ and control group. However, significant difference was not found for experimental group Ⅰ and control group regarding responsibility for Leisure obstacle. Group cohesion and for subcategories of group cohesion, experimental group Ⅱ showed significant improvement for group atmosphere and group participation compared to both experimental group Ⅰ and control group. There were no significant differences between the experimental group Ⅰ and the control group. The comparison prior to and after the experimental group Ⅱ and experimental group Ⅰ revealed significant improvements regarding subcategories of group cohesion such as group receptiveness for both experimental group Ⅱ and experimental group Ⅰ compared with the control group. However, there were no significant differences between the experimental group Ⅱ and the experimental group Ⅰ. The comparison prior to and after the group Ⅱ and group Ⅰ respectively revealed significant improvements regarding quality of life and subcategories of quality of life such as Positive health perception, Resource, Independence for both group Ⅱ and group Ⅰ compared with the control group. but the improvement was more distinctive for group Ⅱ. Quality of life and for subcategories of quality of life, experimental group Ⅱ showed significant improvement for social involvement compared to both experimental groupⅠ and control group. There were no significant differences between the experimental group Ⅰ and the control group. On the other hand, subcategories of quality of life, such as interference for experimental group Ⅱ showed significant decreases to both experimental group Ⅰ and control group. There were no significant differences between the experimental group Ⅰ and the control group. In conclusion, horticultural well-being programs based upon the leisure ability model is more effective than horticultural activity programs in terms of improvement in leisure awareness and leisure desire. The horticultural well-being programs based upon the leisure ability model also decreases leisure obstacles and improve quality of life for elderly people in senior center by increasing group cohesion.