There are so many reasons why your senior loved one should be going outside and enjoying fresh air each day. One of the best ways to get outside is by planting a garden. This is something that seniors and home care can do together and create a routine around. Home care can help encourage a senior to go outside and help keep your loved one on a routine that involves going outside.
Here are some of the best reasons your senior should start gardening this spring.
It Helps Your Senior Stay Physical
Gardening helps seniors stay physically fit because it requires them to do things like bending, reaching, and walking. This helps strengthen seniors’ muscles, improve balance and coordination, and increase their overall physical fitness. Even if your loved one can’t move well, they can still garden with a standing bed or just a few pots on the porch. Although it’s a small garden, it still helps your loved one go outside and move around. Any time they go out into nature, even if it’s just their backyard, it can be super beneficial.
Gardening Relieves Stress
Being outside provides a healthy environment that allows your loved one to relax. The sun can be soothing, and the colors of nature can reduce stress and anxiety. Most things a senior will be doing outside will be simple, making it something they don’t have to stress about. Gardening should be an easy and satisfying activity for your elderly loved one. If you or their home care provider have been looking for stress-relieving activities, this is one of the best hobbies for your loved one.
It Helps Boost Independence
As your loved one gets older, they may tend to rely on you more, or they start relying more on home care. This isn’t always bad, but it can be bad for their mental health when they can no longer find things to do on their own. Gardening allows a senior to go out and plant what they want, water on their own, and watch their little garden grow. It’s the perfect activity to boost independence for your loved one, and this can do a lot for their mental health. Unfortunately, the more independent someone is, the more likely they are to age in place for longer.
Gardening Gives Them a Sense of Purpose
When your loved one has something to look forward to each day, it gives them a sense of purpose. All hobbies should encourage, inspire, and provide purpose for a senior. For example, planting a garden from seed and watching it grow into something beautiful gives your loved one something to look forward to in the future and gives them a sense of purpose which can make them feel happier in older age.
It Gets Them To Socialize
Believe it or not, a garden can help your seniors socialize in many ways. They may have to go to the greenhouse more, join gardening groups, or even join a community garden. All of these allow a senior to meet other people and socialize. It also gives them something to talk about, which will help them meet other seniors interested in the same things.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care in Woodbury, NY please contact the caring staff at Brookville Homecare today. 516-802-7722