Listen to Story Gardening can improve balance and walking speed in older individuals suffering from dementia, according to a new study. Dementia is a geriatric condition described as a deterioration in memory and other cognitive abilities that impairs daily functioning. In 2023, more than 55 million people had dementia worldwide, but the incidence of dementia cases will likely grow in the coming decades simply because we live longer.
According to some estimates, the number of dementia cases may triple by 2050. Conducted by researchers from Semmelweis University, the clinical study suggests that horticultural therapy could be a promising non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating symptoms for the elderly with cognitive impairment (CI) and dementia. The study involved institutionalised elderly participants who took part in hour-long gardening sessions, twice a week, over a 12-week period.
Gardening can improve balance and walking speed in older individuals suffering from dementia. (Photo: Getty Images) Activities such as preparing the beds, weeding, trimming, and harvesting were included in these sessions. The participants were compared to a control group that did not engage in gardening but participated in the institution’s other social activities .
By the end of the study, the gardening group maintained their baseline performance in static balance, while the control group experienced a decline. Additionally, the gardening group saw improvements in gait speed, a key fa.