Therapeutic Horticulture for Dementia: A Systematic Review

Dementia is on the rise globally and includes complex cognitive and neuropsychi-atric manifestations. Prioritizing neuropsychiatric symptom management in per-sons living with dementia (PLWD) can reduce rates of adverse events and reduce caregiver burden. Therefore, health care providers and caregivers should explore all available therapeutic modalities for PLWD to provide high-quality care to these indi-viduals. The current systematic review synthesizes the evidence concerning the use of therapeutic horticulture (TH) as a nonpharmacological tool for decreasing neuro-psychiatric symptoms, such as agitation and depression, in PLWD. Findings support the use of TH as a low-cost intervention that nurses can use as an important aspect of the care plan for PLWD, particularly in dementia care facilities. [Journal of Geron-49-52.]