Greening a Geriatric Ward Reduces Functional Decline in Elderly Patients and is Positively Evaluated by Hospital Staff

Abstract

This research examined whether greening of a geriatric ward may reduce the hospital-induced decline in the independent functioning of elderly patients as measured by changes from admission to discharge in the KATZ-ADL6 and physician assessments at discharge. Using a quasi-experimental design with 4 months of pre- and post-tests, the functional decline in a sample of 54 hospitalized geriatric patients was found to be lower after greening than before greening for both measures. Moreover, an evaluative survey among 15 staff members showed that they appreciated the greening, and believed it to support patient well-being.