본 연구는 기존 원예치료프로그램의 치료목표를 시간적 흐름에 따라 분석하여 그 경향을 살펴보고 나아가 본 연구자가 제시하고자 하는 집단발달단계의 시각에 따른 집단원예치료에 적합한 프로그램 구성을 제시하는데 이용하고자 수행되었다. 원예치료프로그램의 치료목표를 집단원예치료 발달단계에 따라 분석하여 위하여 선정한 108개의 실험에서 제시된 원예치료프로그램을 Corey(1995)의 집단발달단계에 기초하여 한경희 등(2008)이 제시한 시작단계, 전환단계, 작업단계 종결단계의 4단계로 분류하였다. 단계를 분류하기 위하여 원예치료 프로그램의 기본 총회기를 12회기로 보고 1-2회기 까지를 시작단계, 3-6회를 전환단계, 7-10회를 작업단계, 11-12회를 종결단계로 설정하였다. 집단발달단계에 따른 집단원에치료프로그램의 단계별치료목표 분석에 따르면, 시작단계는 감각자극(11.9%), 소근육과 대근육 등의 운동기능향상(9.3%), 자존감향상(8.6%), 인지능력의 향상(7.8%), 대인관계 및 사회성 향상(7,5%) 흥미와 호기심 유발(6.3%), 정서안정 등과 같은 긍정적 심리 향상 및 부정적 심리의 감소(5.2%) 등의 순으로 나타났고, 전환단계는 대인관계 및 사회성 향상(11.4%), 자기표현, 감정표현 증진(9.3%), 자아존중감 향상(8.0%), 소근육과 대근육 등의 운동기능향상(7.5%), 인지기능향상(7.5%), 긍정적 심리 향상 및 부정적 심리의 감소(7.2%), 성취감증대(5.4%), 감각자극(5.1%), 기억력증대(5.1%), 주의력의 향상(3.8%) 순으로 나타났다. 작업단계에서 조사된 내용은, 소근육과 대근육 등의 운동기능 향상(13.9%), 대인관계 및 사회성 향상(10.7%), 감각자극(8.0%), 정서안정 등과 같은 긍정적 심리 향상 및 부정적 심리의 감소(7.8%), 인지기능향상(7.0%), 자기표현, 감정표현의 증진(7.0%), 자존감향상(6.2%), 주의집중력 향상(5.6%), 협동심 향상(4.0%) 순이었고, 종결단계에서 조사된 내용은, 대인관계 및 사회성 향상(19.2%), 소근육과 대근육의 운동기능향상(8%), 숙련도 향상(8%), 자존감향상(7%), 성취감 증대(6.1%), 주의 집중력 향상(6.1%) 등 이였다.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an empowerment program, using horticultural therapy among the elderly clients of an In-Home Service Center at a Community Social Welfare Center. The empowerment program applied in this study included group horticultural activities, garden activities, home horticultural activities, selling the products and a self-help group. This program had 49 sessions in total and was held from April 2004 to February 2005. The results of this research are as follows. According to the results of the pre-, mid-term, and post-test, there were significant improvements among the subjects who participated in the horticultural therapy program, especially in terms of intrapersonal empowerment, and interpersonal empowerment of self-esteem of the elderly using In-Home Services. Through using those common and familiar sources of horticultural materials, what the elderly found is the fact that they have the ability to create and raise plants of their own and to utilize this ability in their lives. Thus, it can be said that horticultural therapy program is helpful to empower the elderly in terms of developing their potentials in productivity and encourages them to utilize and maintain their horticultural skills and productivity in their lives.

Horticultural activity is the one of the most effective recreations due to plenty of advantages. To most of the elderly generation, for instance, it is the familiar activity as well as productive activity, leading to satisfaction by providing an environment for social interaction. In addition, it has been shown that positive results such as memory restoration and emotional stabilization come from it. The purpose of this study was the assessment of horticultural activity as a recreation for the solitude elderly female by investigating the level of isolation and satisfaction of the life. Eight women between 65 and 75 year old were investigated every once a week from March, 18, to October, 28, 2003. Data was collected from UCLA solitude level, the aged life satisfaction, and horticultural activity evaluation and statistically analyzed by SPSS 10.0 and paired t-test was used. As a result, the solitude level was decreased from 52 to 45 with the significance at 0.035(<α=0.05) and the satisfaction level was increased from 32 to 38 with the significance at 0.022(<α=0.05).