Understanding Therapeutic Sensory Stimulation Garden (TSSG) as a Rehabilitation Garden in a Healthcare Centre

Abstract

Therapeutic garden in the hospital has been known as one of the promising intervention tools to improve the psychological, cognitive, social, and physical functions of patients in the healthcare center. Large numbers of literature found on the benefit of a therapeutic garden, however, there were limited discussions related to rehabilitation among disabled patients during their hospitalization. Therefore, this study is aimed to develop a clearer understanding of a therapeutic garden used for physical rehabilitation by neurological disorder patients. Therapeutic Sensory Stimulation Garden (TSSG) was chosen as the site study and behavioral mapping technique was employed to map the pattern of space use, movement, and types of activities in the garden. From this observational study, it was discovered that three primary components were involved in defining the pattern of space use, movement and activity in TSSG during rehabilitation: people, environment and activities. Therefore, to design a hospital's garden for rehabilitation, knowing these three aspects was vital. This research demonstrates that TSSG appears to be useful as a supplementary instrument for patients with neurological disorder, particularly in their early rehabilitation intervention phases..