Stress of brain mapping in elderly people before and after giving horticultural therapy in planting flowers

Stress can be experienced by anyone including the elderly people. Stress can occur at any time and daily occurrence in life. Stress conditions can be reflected in the activity of the human brain. Horticulture therapy is one alternative to handling stress with the use of plants as a means of therapy. This study aims to analyze the differences in the qualitative picture of brain waves or brain mapping about stress in elderly people before and after administration of horticulture therapy to plant flowers. This study uses a quasy experimental design, with the design of the pre-post-test test control group design, which is conducting research using treatment groups and control groups) that were measured before and after the research intervention in the form of Horticultural therapy. The research sample was determined by purposive sampling, with a sample size of 14 elderly people divided into 2 groups of 7 people each. The research was conducted in Batu City, East Java in 2008. The research instrument used was an EEG (electroencephalogram) examination tool. Data from the research results were processed descriptively for QEEG (Quantitative electroencephalogram). The results showed that QEEG examination showed 42.9% of the stress condition improved. It was concluded that horticultural therapy to plant flowers had a positive effect on stress levels in the elderly. Based on these conclusions, it is recommended that horticultural therapy be applied to elderly people who experience stress.