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"Growing" Older - Garden Care Tips for Seniors With spring upon us, millions of Americans are getting out their spades and hand rakes for gardening season. Gardening is great for everybody, but it can be particularly beneficial to seniors. With a variety of health and emotional benefits, gardening is one of the best low-impact activities for seniors, including those with mild physical limitations, memory problems, or those who require various forms of senior care.
"Gardening is an extremely healthy and rewarding activity for seniors," says Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. "Staying active is vitally important for seniors. As a long time member of the senior care community, I can't stress how important it is for seniors to have mental, emotional, and physical outlets. Gardening provides all three."
The benefits of garden care for seniors are plentiful. Studies have shown that low-impact exercise, such as gardening, can drastically reduce seniors' risk of injury and physical conditions like osteoporosis. Gardening helps seniors maintain - or even increase - flexibility and strength. What's more, gardening provides a peaceful, engaging activity. This can be therapeutic, helping to relieve emotional stress for lonely or frustrated seniors. Gardening can even provide a therapeutic outlet for Alzheimer's sufferers.
Safety & Care Tips for Senior Gardening
Of course, as with any physical activity, it's important that seniors take care when they garden to prevent exhaustion or injury. With that in mind, here are some tips if an elderly loved one has a budding green thumb.
- Limber Up. Reduce the risk of joint stress and cramps by have your loved one stretch and warm up with a walk before gardening.
- Choose the Right Tools. Make sure your loved one has the right tools for each job to reduce the effort and joint stress caused by digging, raking, and other activities. Experts suggest strong, lightweight, ergonomic tools with comfortable rubber handles.
- Protect Hands & Skin. Have your loved one wear durable gardening gloves to protect hands against thorns, branches, brambles, and roots. Have them apply sunscreen before starting work to protect any exposed skin.
- Avoid Heat & Sunlight. To avoid sun stroke, sunburn, and dehydration, suggest that your loved one garden during the morning or evening when it's cooler and use shade to their advantage. Make sure they stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and taking regular breaks.
- Increase Ease of Access. Try to ensure that your loved one's garden and plants are as easy to access as possible. Raised beds and narrow plots can help keep your loved one out of uncomfortable positions.
- Break Up Tough Tasks. Have your loved one break tough jobs like weeding into five minute pieces, taking breaks in between to relax or do easier jobs.
See how an Angel can help keep your loved one active!
If you have an elderly relative or loved one who loves to garden, but finds the activity increasingly difficult, senior care from your local Visiting Angels home care provider may be the answer. Contact us at 410.218.9506 to find out if senior care is right for your loved one.
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Pictured left to right: Tom Baden,
Editor in Chief, The Daily Record; Jessica Normington,
Executive Director, Pikesville Chamber of Commerce; Marcy; Dave Pyser,
Executive Director, Visiting Angels of Pikesville; Mark Pressman,
President, Pikesville Chamber of Commerce.
Visiting Angels of Pikesville is proud to announce that Operations Coordinator Marcy Silver has been selected as the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce's Employee of the Year.
Silver joined the company in 2015 and made an immediate impact in a number of facets of the company's operations. She oversees the hiring of new caregivers as well as manages the company's marketing and social media efforts.
But most importantly, her work with the company's clients has not gone unnoticed.
"From the start Marcy's personality shined through. Her compassion towards our clients and their families was extraordinary," said Dave Pyser, Executive Director of Visiting Angels of Pikesville. "When Marcy visits with clients in their homes they immediately like her. She told me on numerous occasions that the clients hug her when she leaves. That's compassion."
Visiting Angels of Pikesville has received numerous accolades over the recent years for customer service and Pyser attributes a lot of that to the hiring of Silver.
"With regard to Marcy joining our team 16 months ago, it was by far the best decision I made as a business owner," said Pyser. "She contributes to our success and our client's happiness on a daily basis."
For more than a decade, the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce has been honoring an outstanding employee of one of its members. The Chamber's president, vice president and executive director then pick the winner from each year's nominees.
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Join Us As We Walk to End Alzheimer's
Visiting Angels of Pikesville is excited to be joining the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's® 2016 Greater Baltimore Walk to End Alzheimer's on October 29, 2016. We have committed to raising awareness and funds to support Alzheimer's care, support and research, and we need your help.
You can help in two ways:
- Join us in the fight against Alzheimer's and walk with us.*
- Help us reach our fundraising goal by making a donation on our fundraising page .
We'd be so grateful if you would join our team or sponsor us. Together, we can end Alzheimer's.
*To register, visit our page and find the "Join My Team" button on the left side of the page. Our team name is Visiting Angels of Pikesville.
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