I had my last zoom horticultural therapy class this week at Ann’s Place. After a bit of a rocky start, we settled into a groove with good participation and satisfied clients. But with warmer weather on hand and increased vaccinations, it is time to move classes back to Ann’s Place in-person. (Not to mention that we will be using lots of live plants.) Everyone is excited by this prospect, however, when I survey my clients about their experiences, good and bad, with Zoom-based horticultural therapy classes, I discover that some are hoping that we can have both on-line and in-person activities.
“This has been a godsend for me,” says Mary. “It would be great if we could keep it going so at least I can listen in if I can’t get there.” Other clients echo her sentiment. As I think about it, this makes perfect sense.
Ironically, the number of drop outs for Zoom-based sessions is much lower than that of on-site. And the number of clients wanting to attend is much higher than those coming on-site. For our client base, it is easy to see why as some may continue to struggle with their various challenges caused by cancer and want to participate from home. I sometimes feel like a lout when I e-mail a client about not picking up their materials prior to a class. When I get a response of, “Oh Erik, I have been in the hospital for the last few days. I’m so sorry for not getting back to you,” I just want to crawl under a rock.
So like many institutions and businesses, I too will need to set up hybrid classes moving forward. Any ideas? I’m all ears.
