Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Abstract Horticultural Therapy Program within Retirement Communities

Abstract Horticultural Therapy Program within Retirement Communities


Many Health care facilities are trying to make successful strides in managing their facilities, creating a small intentional community for their residents and staff to interact in. A place that focuses on their life, the heart of which is found in the relationships that flourish. A radical departure from the traditional skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities of the past.

A Horticultural Therapy program will focus on creating the physical and structural real life environments that will propelled your facility to “A world class leader” in your industry. There is a need to exhaust every effort to accelerate the advancement of
creating the warmest, most comfortable place for all residents to live meaningful and useful interactive lives.
Have your “common areas” been overlooked and are they in desperate need of a radical overhaul? Are your outside private or courtyard areas sterile, lifeless, and institutional which present a nursing home feel? We can make these areas fit into your present commitment and endeavors to activate and stimulate your residents. We offer you an opportunity to change these areas into a setting that gives your current residents and staff members a warm, home like environment where they can feel they are a contributing member of a community.
Goals and objectives
· Designing and implement an intergenerational model Horticultural Therapy program using Eden Alternative Principles within your common areas, courtyards, and landscapes will create a better mutually beneficial environment to all residents and staff. Realizing this goal presents an opportunity to transform unused areas into a setting that will reflect a true home like patio experience. These areas can be designed to be private and more control oriented places for staff to interact with the residents, lessening their sense of loneliness and boredom. Places that offer beauty, warmth, friendliness, sunlight, plants, and a feeling of outdoor freedom and fresh air. A place where people have an inert sense of belonging to something greater than themselves.


Target population
This program will target the bored, the complacent, and the lonely unmotivated residents that need to be brought out of their rooms and hallways into home-like areas of your facility. They can then experience the sense of living an interactive life. With a focus on socialization, fun, play and activities that meaningfully contribute to their day to day existence.



Project activities

Establishing a new Horticultural Therapy Program will permit you to expand and improve your “areas” visual attractiveness while offering new and exciting
resident interactive activities. This new program will create a reliable mechanism to quickly respond to the changing needs of your residents through growing activities in but not limited to gardening, walkways, exercise, ramps and bridges. Along with shaded areas for sitting, reading and reflecting, perhaps a lean to greenhouse, areas that promotes growth, health, communication and sharing, as well as privacy and retreat, putting greens, rubberized horseshoe tossing, deck shuffle boarding, butterfly gardens, flower gardens, wheelchair gardens, standing gardens and an endless supply of horticultural activities that involve both residents and staff. Volunteer and interns programs, flower arranging, planting projects, nature tours, classes, lectures and crafts, In house garden clubs and events.
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PLAN FOR MEASURING PROJECT RESULTS

Progress can easily be measured by an immediate renewed
resident participation not only by the increased usage but also attendance in the classes and activities the program offers. There will be a clear and defined improvement in the ascetics’ of your facilities and in the general attitudes and well being of your residents and staff. You will witness and experience a significant direct sense of quality of life in our community measured by the smiles on the faces, the light in the eyes and the tones in the voices of your residents and staff as they take pride in being part of a progressive national model for retirement living.

STAFFING

After the initial physical design review and development process in most cases, a Horticultural Therapist can be absorbed by current program funding. The “right person” is the key to generating, motivating and maintaining the program. As stated by the American Horticultural Therapy Association’s website http://www.ahta.org “Horticultural therapists are specially educated and trained members of rehabilitation teams (with doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists and other) who involve the client in all phases of gardening - from propagation to selling products - as a means of bringing about improvement in their life. The demand for trained horticultural therapists has prompted universities, colleges, and other organizations to offer degree and certificate programs in the field.”
Often times an Occupational, Activity or Recreational Therapist with a strong background or interest in gardening can facilitate a Horticultural Therapy Program.


Conclusion

Horticultural Frontiers can design a custom program that will address your present areas that are physically old and requiring repair, high maintenance, and expense. These areas offer little in the way of beauty, pleasantness, and in home personal contentment. This nationally proven media of Horticultural Therapy when added will be the first of its kind. This will offer a new and exciting avenue to provide state of the art programming for your residents. It is sensory stimulating as well as visually pleasing for not only the staff and residents, but for visitors and new prospective customers and donors. It’s green and healthy, active and affordable, and most importantly its fun and offers intrigue, excitement and expectations. It causes anticipation, It buds, begins to grow, blooms and even dies. Life lessons every day. It is active. It is alive. It is something to look forward to at the beginning of the day as well as something to reflect on at the end of the day. it is ever changing and improving. It is an art, a science, a living thing of beauty and positive in its nature. Here-in lies its treasures and rewards. It is in itself therapeutic and contagious. It’s new, and it’s fresh and will prove to be the initial key to your future reputation and success.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Free Home Improvement Seminars for Sunday, Oct 3 at the Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show!

Home Improvement Seminars
Sunday, October 3, 2010

11am- How to Design your Landscape:
So many things to think about, where to start? Spend an hour with Gary Petterson of Gardeners Eden Landscaping and get handouts to show you the way.  Correct plant placement yields a great microclimate for your outdoor living as well as saving energy on heating and cooling your home.  Plan an outdoor kitchen or garden for fresh veggies.  You can do it with these tips from the expert. 
12 noon- Great Cleaning Tips from the Queen of Clean, Linda Cobb presented by Kinetico Water:
Bring you pencil and paper because she will be teaching you how to make fast, cheap, effective and natural cleaning products. Plus lots and lots of giveaways!
1pm- Home Ideas from The Home Hunter:
Meet Dianne & Tiffany Hunter from ABC 15 the "Home Hunter” and their special panel of home remodeling experts to help you get your next home improvement project started!
2pm- Feng Shui and Interior Design: 
Learn to use Feng Shui in your design plans and make sure the home stays balanced while you redecorate. Learn colors and shapes for areas that will help bring your designs to life.
3pm- “How To” Step by Step Interlocking Paving Installation presented by Toro Concrete & Masonry & Landscaping LLC:    
Information and “cheat sheet” with step-by-step information on how to install your own pavers for the driveway, walkway, patio and more. Material cost, design, and installation process.  At this seminar, you will learn how to do it yourself or find the company to do it for you!
4pm- How To Make an Emergency Preparedness Kit:
Be ready for whatever life’s curve ball may throw your way!  The Phoenix Police Department will show you 3 samples of how to make an emergency preparedness kit for your family.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Free Home Improvement Seminars for Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show!

Home Improvement Seminars

Saturday, October 2, 2010

11am- Great Cleaning Tips from the Queen of Clean, Linda Cobb presented by Kinetico Water:
Bring you pencil and paper because she will be teaching you how to make fast, cheap, effective and natural cleaning products. Plus lots and lots of giveaways!
12 noon- Score Savings on Your Energy Bills with APS:
Conserving energy, saving money and protecting the environment doesn’t require a radical lifestyle change, thanks to Green Choices from APS. We’re here to help you save with a variety of options – you choose the programs that fit your lifestyle best.  We have simple ways to reduce energy use – like installing discounted CFLs, scheduling an energy checkup for your home, or switching to Green Choice rates; or more robust options like installing a more efficient pool pump or investing in renewable energy. Come hear about rebates and incentives – even how APS will pay you to let us pick up and recycle your old fridge. Enter a raffle for merchandise signed by Steve Nash! Come get in the game with APS!
1pm- Home Ideas from The Home Hunter:
Meet Dianne & Tiffany Hunter from ABC 15 the "Home Hunter” and their special panel of home remodeling experts to help you get your next home improvement project started!
2pm- Southwestern Feng Shui:
Learn the basic principles of Feng Shui and how to make adjustments to accommodate a Desert Environment. Feng Shui is easier to make work in places with mountain water.  Learn quick ways to balance those missing elements for Arizona.
3pm- How To Make an Emergency Preparedness Kit:
Be ready for whatever life’s curve ball may throw your way!  The Phoenix Police Department will show you 3 samples of how to make an emergency preparedness kit for your family.
4pm-Energy $aving Strategies for your Home! Heliocol:
a) Reduce your Energy footprint and $ave money with simple upgrades (Duct sealing, Whole house envelope seal, R-38 + insulation, efficient windows & doors, $ 99 Blower-door test by REEIS co-sponsored by APS and SRP,  your current A/C efficiency analysis, & thermo-measurement tests, and more...)
b) Produce your own "Solar Heat" to heat your Pool & Spa, Hot water for Showers, laundry, dishwashing, bathing, shaving, etc.
c) Produce your own "Electricity" from the Sun to minimize your Electric bill usage with Solar PV Grid-tied Energy Systems
5pm- “How To” Step by Step Interlocking Paving Installation presented by Toro Concrete & Masonry &
Landscaping LLC:  
Information and “cheat sheet” with step-by-step information on how to install your own pavers for the driveway, walkway, patio and more. Material cost, design, and installation process.  At this seminar, you will learn how to do it yourself or find the company to do it for you!
6pm- International Wine Seminar - Wines for the Season:
White and dark turkey meat, mashed potatoes, yams, herb-filled stuffing, cranberry relish, pickled this and peppered that, all the way to pumpkin or pecan pie.  Then we have honey baked ham, roasted turkey, roast beef and even duck or goose. We love our gingerbread, Stollen & pudding, fruitcake and enjoy a few sips of eggnog in between. Light to medium bodied wines (dry or fruity), with lower tannins and complexity are better suited to the vast array of flavors. Must be 21 to attend this seminar.
Champagne            great for any occasion
                           Pinot Noir              light, low tannins
                           Malbec                  medium, fruit forward
                           Dornfelder             on the fruity side
                           Rosés                    perfect match for poultry
Riesling                  everyone will love it
            Pinot Blanc            elegant for the occasion