Flower & Senior Science Study - Hearts of Lavender

Researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, shared the results of a six-month behavioral study on the health effects of flowers on senior citizens. That study demonstrated that flowers ease depression, inspire social connections and refresh memory. Rutgers set out to explore the effects flowers would have on senior citizens, who experience different living situations and greater life changes. The Flowers & Seniors Study (2001) is the second floral research project conducted by Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Project Director, Human Development Lab at Rutgers.
More than 100 seniors participated in the Rutgers research study, in which some of them received flowers and others did not. “The results are significant because as our nation grows older and life becomes more stressful, we look for easy and natural ways to enhance our own lives and the lives of our aging parents,” said Haviland-Jones. “Now, one simple answer is right under our noses.”
The results at Rutgers might interest you. A large percentage of the 100 seniors who participated reported a reduction in depression after someone gave them flowers. Forty percent of seniors reported broadening their social contacts beyond their family and usual social circle. Seventy two percent of the seniors who received flowers scored very high on memory tests in comparison with seniors who did not receive flowers during the study. The study consisted of 104 participants (94 women, 10 men), ranging in ethnicity, from ages 55-93. To prevent skewed or biased results, participants did not know the purpose of the study.
Could it be that the pleasant scent of flowers stimulating our olfactory sense, the sight of beautiful and fragile blooms as a visual stimulant, and our sense of touch in receiving flowers heightens our awareness so much as to improve memory? Additional studies have been performed at Rutgers which illustrate individual reactions to flowers show them as mood elevators.
“Happier people live longer, healthier lives and are more open to change,” said Haviland-Jones. “Our research shows that a small dose of nature, like flowers, can do a world of good for our well-being as we age.” If you have aging parents and you want to cheer them up, visit them, share time with them, and next time you do, why not take them a bunch of flowers?
This Rutgers study set out to explore the effects flowers would have on senior citizens, who experience different living situations and greater life changes. The Flowers & Seniors Study (2001) is the second floral research project conducted by Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D