A STUDY ON HEALING EFFECTS OF HOSPITAL GARDENS

The features and the designs of the hospital gardens have importance in the treatment process of the patients spiritually, physically and socially. Well-designed healing hospital gardens form a social atmosphere through saving the patients from the monotony that the clinic environment has and positively affect the clinical results of the patients through reducing stress, and thus they enable patients to feel themselves good psychologically and physiologically. In this study, three hospital gardens in the city of Trabzon in Turkey are examined in a detailed way. Firstly, the gardens are examined through scoring table in terms of location, comfort, safety, furniture, plants, waterscapes and access, and existing situation is revealed. Secondly, a questionnaire was conducted and the users are asked whether they are satisfied with the garden, the reasons why they use the garden, the features that make them use the garden and the kind of elements that are effective to make them use the garden, and how the garden make them feel is explored through the pairs of adjectives and the gardens are evaluated through their healing power. As a result, common problems of the gardens are determined and suggestions that aim to enhance patients' health are offered. It has found out that the gardens do not have the quality to be able to meet the needs of the users, they do not have enough landscape value to contribute to the physical-spiritual development of the users and they do not have adequate landscape criteria.