The Effects of Floral Arrangement on the Stress Index of the Elderly with Chronic Diseases and Its Correlation with Cognition

This study aims to see what changes flower arrangement programs bring to the stress index of elderly people with chronic diseases and its correlation with cognition. Furthermore, seniors from a day care center and a nursing home were compared for the purpose of identifying the effectiveness of flower arrangement activities as a supplementary remedy designed to relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases. In this study, 24 seniors with chronic diseases were divided into two groups: Group A consists of 15 seniors from a day care center and Group B consists of nine seniors from a nursing home. Both groups participated in simple flower arrangement activities in 10 sessions. In each session, red and green cut flowers that were preferred by the elderly were provided to elicit and develop their thoughts and behaviors. The results showed that the overall average stress index was significantly reduced from 58.0±11.6 before the program to 50.6±17.1 after the program (p = .037). This study examined that the program was more effective for Group A (p = .021) than for Group B (p = .678). Results of the correlation analysis showed that there was no correlation between cognitive function and stress index (p = .569), but that the activity was more effective for Group A. This study shows that arranging flowers effectively lowers the stress index of elderly people with chronic diseases. Also, sharing the outcomes of such activities with others or continuously caring for the flowers even after the activity can maximize the effectiveness of the therapy and rehabilitation. Thus, the study concluded that the program needs to be applied continuously, not in the short-term, in order to relieve or treat the symptoms of elderly patients with chronic diseases.