CELESTE HUNTER Needs To Have Her Hands Amputated - AFTER THE LOBOTOMY
Celeste Hunter
CELESTE HUNTER
You Need To Have Your Hands Amputated
AFTER YOUR LOBOTOMY
They already did that, which accounts for your behavior.
The specific goals toward which a horticultural therapy program is
directed may differ distinctly from one institution to another and from
one population of handicapped individuals to another. However, the
ultimate goal of these programs is the improved physical and mental
health of the individual. The benefits may be seen in four areas -
intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development.
Horticulture is not a new therapeutic tool. Before psychiatry became a
science, work in the garden was prescribed as a curative for ills of
the mind and nervous system. (4) In 1768, Benjamin rush maintained that
digging in the soil had a curative effect on the mentally ill, and by
1806, hospitals in Spain were emphasizing the benefits of agricultural
and horticultural activities to the mental patients. (5) Dr. Gregory in
North Scotland was reported to have gained fame in the early 1800s for
curing insanity by compelling his patients to work on his farm. (1)
Farming and gardening have been an important part of the work therapy
program at Pontiac State Hospital, Pontiac, Michigan, since it was
founded in 1878. (2) These early programs were primarily oriented
towards maintenance of the institution and the production of food.
However, as the therapeutic values of such activities became apparent,
emphasis shifted to programs more therapeutically oriented.
Today centers throughout the country are using horticulture for
educational, therapeutic and recreational purposes.
The specific goals toward which a horticultural therapy program is
directed may differ distinctly from one institution to another and from
one population of handicapped individuals to another. However, the
ultimate goal of these programs is the improved physical and mental
health of the individual. the benefits may be seen in four areas -
intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development.
Intellectual Benefits
1. Attainment of new skills. The individual gains many new abilities
as he learns the techniques and methods of horticulture such as plant
propagation, gardening, and flower arranging.
2. Improved vocabulary and communication skills. Participants in the
program learn new terms as well as new concepts.
3. Aroused sense of curiosity. Plants are fascinating. They arouse
many questions. How and why do plants grow the way that they do? They
offer opportunities for experimentation.
4. Increased powers of observation. Watching the interaction between
plants, man and animals helps develop deeper understanding and ability
to evaluate relationships. This also leads to improved ability to plan
and make decisions.
5. Vocational and prevocational training. Many different schools and
institutions place participants in horticultural related jobs after
completion of their programs.
6. Stimulation of sensory perceptions. Vision, hearing, touch, taste,
and smell all play an important role in gaining the full benefit from a
horticultural therapy program. At the same time that sensitivity to
one's surroundings increases the perception of details increases.
Social Benefits
1. Interaction within the group. The members of a group learn to
relate to one another in a more meaningful way as they work together
toward a common goal. They learn to respect the rights of others, to be
more cooperative, and to share responsibility. They also have an
opportunity to develop leadership qualities.
2. Interactions outside of the group. For individuals within an
institution as well as handicapped members of the community the
opportunity to meet with others at garden clubs, flower shows and on
field trips is an important experience in their social growth.The
opportunity to share the products of their own effort with others is
also an important aspect of horticultural therapy. The vegetable garden
at the Menninger Foundation has traditionally supplied food for several
youth homes in Topeka as well as for victims of emergency and disaster.
According to Dr. Will Menninger, "as they share the product of the work
with people less fortunate economically, patients picture themselves,
often for the first time, as productive members of society." (3)
Emotional Growth
1. Improved confidence and self esteem. Plant materials and activities
can be selected that guarantee some degree of success to the
participants in the program. Pride in the completed project, a sense of
responsibility and accomplishment, all lead to an improved
self-concept.
2. Opportunities to relieve aggressive drives in a socially acceptable
manner. From the breaking up of old flower pots for use in the
greenhouse to the clipping of hedges, a horticultural therapy program
provides many aggressive outlets, leading to improved self control
through redirection of these aggressive drives.
3. Activities that promote interest and enthusiasm for the future.
This is a particularly important aspect to the elderly and the
emotionally disturbed individuals who have lost interest in the future.
Interest can be rekindled as they anticipate a flower bud opening or a
seed germinating.
4. Opportunities for the satisfaction of creative drives. Creativity
and self expression are evident in flower arranging, landscaping and
many other aspects of horticulture.
Physical Benefits
1. Development and improvement of basic motor skills. Specific
activities can be used to improve muscle coordination and to train
unused muscles, for example, transplanting of seedlings can be used to
practice grasp and release and flexion of the thumb and forefinger.
2.Increased outdoor activities. Flower and vegetable gardens as well
as landscape maintenance activities provide many opportunities for
meaningful outdoor activities.
It is not necessary to have expensive facilities or a large garden to
initiate a successful horticultural therapy program. With imagination
and initiative even the most limited facilities can be modified to
accommodate horticultural activities. If there is no greenhouse
available, a sunny window can be used. If there is no window, special
lights can be installed for growing plants. If there is no place for a
garden, pot plants, dish gardens and terrariums can be used.
The following is a list of some of the activities can be modified and
adapted to suit the specific handicap of the individuals involved and
the specific goals of the program.
A. Arts and Crafts
1. Indoor crafts
a. Model gardens
b. Artificial flowers using paper, ribbon, cloth, plastic films, etc.
c. Collages of pictures from garden catalogs and magazines (wall
hangings, trash boxes, supply bins, etc.)
d. Needlework projects such as decorating garden gloves, making aprons
for yard work, cross-stitching flowers, etc.
e. Jewelry making from seeds, cones and dried flowers
f. Weaving with materials from the garden
g. Funny figure designs using seed pods, pine cones, apples, sweet
potatoes, etc.
h. Wall plaques such as seed mosaics, seed pod pictures, and dried
flower plaques
i. Stationery and note cards using such techniques as leaf and flower
prints, potato block prints and pressed flowers
j. Book markers (i.e. pressed flowers encased in clear plastic)
k. Sachet bags filled with hers, flowers, pine needles, etc.
l. Planters made from plastic mild jugs, coffee cans, sand casting, etc.
m. Paper-mache fruits, vegetables, vases, etc.
n. Plaster of paris casts of wild flowers, ferns, etc.
o. Bulletin board displays
p. Drying flowers (air dry, borax and sand, silica gel, glycerine,
pressing)
q. Christmas crafts such as ornaments from seed pods, wreaths,
corsages, Christmas Cards, etc.
2. Outdoor Crafts
a. Wind chimes from flower pots or bamboo
b. Stepping stones
c. Garden sculpture
d. Garden Furniture
e. Bird attractors (i.e., feeding stations, houses, baths, etc.)
f. Planters and window boxes from redwood, clay drain pipes, concrete,
etc.
g. Scarecrows
B. Group Activities
1. Games (garden bingo, flower quizzes)
2. Stories (story telling pictures, felt board pin-ups, myths and
legends, pantomime, skits, etc.)
3. Movies and slide shows (many available through libraries, arboreta,
and garden clubs)
C. Excursions
1. Arboreta, gardens, and parks
2. Flower shows
3. Horticultural businesses (e.g. greenhouses, nurseries, orchards,
vegetable producers)
4. Collecting trips (mount and display, save for other crafts); rocks,
insects, weeds, wildflowers, cones, tree flowers, seeds and seed pods,
mosses and terrarium plants
D. Plants - Indoors
1. Flower arranging, corsage making
2. Dish gardens, terrariums
3. Houseplants: culture, identification, propagation
4. Hydroponic cultures: sweet potatoes, Cyperus atternafolius, carrot
and beet tops, watercress
5. Experiments: lights, temperature, water, fertilizers
6. Flower forcing: bulbs, spring branches
E. Plants - Outdoors
1. Flower, vegetable or herb garden: e.g. planning and preparing soil,
liming and fertilizing, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, etc.
2. Nursery: propagation, culture, watering, digging
3. Landscape maintenance: e.g. mowing, pruning, edging, weeding,
transplanting, etc.
F. Related Fields of Study
1. Insects and diseases
2. Soils
3. Birds and animals in the garden.
Once the decision has been made to incorporate horticulture into the
therapeutic program of a hospital or institution, three main areas must
be given thorough consideration. These are 1) the individuals who will
participate in the program, 2) the specific goals toward which the
program is directed and 3) the techniques for implementing the program.
The following guidelines give some of the factors which should be
considered in each of these areas.
Consideration of the Individual
1. Consider the abilities of the individuals within the program; both
physical and mental limitations.
2. Keep in mind that all members of the group will not have equal
interest in plants. Encourage them to participate in related activities
such as building bird houses or collecting insects, stones, etc.
3. Encourage group projects which make the best use of an individual's
talents and abilities. For example, a horticultural exhibit would
present an opportunity to plant the exhibit, gather the materials,
build the displays and explain them to visitors. At the same time, it
would promote social interaction, give group members and opportunity to
show leadership qualities and teach cooperation.
4. Design your program so that each individual works according to his
needs and abilities, making it possible for him to accept his
achievements as the result of his personal capabilities.
5. As much as possible, plant the activities together. Encourage the
participants to make decisions. Use your knowledge of horticulture to
guide the direction of the activities.
6. Design the project so that the participants can manage most of the
work themselves. Each person will gain more from the program by doing
things himself.
7. Avoid establishing competition between individuals by giving prizes
or awards. A fine healthy plant and a word of praise will foster pride
and satisfaction.
Maintenance of the Goals
1. Avoid "busy" work. Every activity should have a definite function
and be an integral part of the entire program.
2. Avoid placing too much value on the end product of an activity
whether it is the produce from the garden or a floral arrangement. it
is the involvement that is important, not the finished product.
3. Except in vocational programs, remember that the purpose of the
program is not to make gardeners or florists out of the individuals in
the program. It is to encourage them to expand themselves through
explorations with plants.
4. Avoid too scientific or complex an approach to horticulture.
Present information about plants that will increase the enjoyment of
gardening and encourage further activity.
5. Utilize projects which can be completed in a short time such as
planting a terrarium so that the participants will get immediate reward
for their efforts. But, also include projects such as a vegetable
garden that are long-term and teach them to think in terms of future
needs and activities.
Implementation of Techniques
1. Plan projects far enough in advance to form a continuum. For
example, in a year round program, seeds can be started in early spring
indoors in a greenhouse or sunny window for a summer flower garden from
which flowers can be dried for winter craft projects.
2. In motivating the group members, utilize modification of activities
with which they are familiar. Horticulture bingo, etc.
3. Exploit the passive benefits of a garden therapy program. The
individual who cannot go outside and work in the garden may profit from
the tranquility of sitting near a window and observing nature in the
garden.
4. Make use of flower shows and other exhibits to give the individuals
an opportunity to display their talents. It is often possible to
incorporate your program into a local garden club show so that the
people in your program can display their horticultural abilities with
nonhandicapped amateur gardeners.
5. Encourage the participation of local garden clubs, nurseries and
florists. They often have materials they would be willing to donate.
6. Know each activity thoroughly- be able to present it in a clear,
organized fashion. Present it completely once a demonstration, then
repeat as necessary to teach member of the group.
7. In planning a vegetable garden, consider how the produce will be
used (consumed on the premises or elsewhere, sold, given away) and what
facilities are available to handle it after harvest.
8. Make use of public and private parks, gardens, arboreta, and
greenhouses for field trips.
9. Incorporated projects to show the interrelationships between
various aspects of nature with emphasis on how this affects plants.
Study soils, insects, birds, water, etc.
10. Make use of various audiovisual materials available. Slide shows,
movies, magazines and garden catalogs are of great interest to all
gardeners. They provide excellent activities for winter days.
11. Remember that inexpensive material will provide as much
therapeutic value as more expensive ones. Flowers grown by the
participants are of more value in a flower arranging class than roses
from the local florist.
12. Be sincere and be enthusiastic. If you are not already an
enthusiastic gardener, try it. You will find great enjoyment in it;
then share it with others.
Regardless of age or handicap a horticulture program, properly
designed and implemented, can be of great value in any therapeutic,
educational or recreational setting.
References
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Celeste Hunter
Celeste Hunter
Celeste Hunter
RGR Moderator
<mrsh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>X-Complaints-To: ab...@talkway.com
Cletus Awreetus Awrightus
"Celeste Hunter" <mrsh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>CELESTE HUNTER
>You Need To Have Your Hands Amputated
>AFTER YOUR LOBOTOMY
>They already did that, which accounts for your behavior.
>
Hmmmmm....
Posting forgeries through Talkway via Anonymizer.com?
How... brave.
Celeste
Cletus Awreetus Awrightus wrote:
>
> In article <w1hG4.10068$A4.2...@c01read04.service.talkway.com>,
> "Celeste Hunter" <mrsh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >CELESTE HUNTER
> >You Need To Have Your Hands Amputated
> >AFTER YOUR LOBOTOMY
> >They already did that, which accounts for your behavior.
> >
>
> Hmmmmm....
>
> Posting forgeries through Talkway via Anonymizer.com?
>
> How... brave.
Hi Cletus! It did not post anything last night, so I'm thinking maybe an
institution of one sort or another is cramping his/her style, or maybe
it's just exhaustion.