Easy gardening tips for seniors and their caregivers

With the weather getting warmer, there are even more opportunities to spend time outdoors. For many people, gardening is the outdoor activity of choice, and people get involved either at home or in a community garden. It’s easy to understand why gardening is so popular - it can be a great social activity while also being inexpensive and therapeutic. Gardening also offers the chance for people to get some exercise and go outside.

Our senior loved ones can enjoy many benefits from gardening, but gardening isn’t always an easy task. This can be especially true as we grow older and our bodies change. Our joints get stiffer, and bending to plant seeds or pull weeds gets a little harder. All the physical activity gardening requires can present a challenge to our senior loved ones. Through our home care services in Calgary, we provide companionship for seniors along with assistance in carrying out daily activities and household tasks. Here is some information from our private home care team on why gardening is beneficial for seniors, as well as some tips to help seniors enjoy this highly rewarding activity.

The benefits of gardening for seniors

Gardening offers many mental and physical health benefits to people of all ages who take up this hobby. It can provide physical activity and mental stimulation while also offering a wide range of health and social benefits.

Exercise. Adults aged 65 and older are generally advised to take part in at least two and a half hours of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. Gardening is a great form of fun, aerobic exercise. 

Vitamin D boost. Spending some time in the sun while gardening can help boost vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is needed for building and maintaining healthy bones and it regulates other important functions in our bodies too.

Combat health conditions. There are a range of health benefits that gardening is thought to provide. Gardening is widely accepted as a great way to lower stress levels and increase feelings of happiness. It is also thought to help combat depression, anxiety, and loneliness. One study even found that daily gardening may reduce the risk of dementia by up to 36%.

Social connection. It’s important for seniors to stay socially active as this can help promote better mental health and physical health. Connecting with other gardeners, gardening with a friend, or being part of a community gardening group can help enrich a senior’s social life.

How to make gardening easier for your senior loved one

There are a number of ways to ensure that your senior loved one can safely enjoy tending to their garden, from thoughtfully selecting the gardening tools they have at their disposal to improving garden access for them.

1. Manage sun and heat exposure

Being outdoors while gardening is a great way for a senior to get their daily dose of vitamin D, but it’s important to make sure that they don’t risk sunburn, dehydration, or sunstroke. Gardening in the morning or evening when it’s cooler outside, staying hydrated, wearing sun protection, and taking regular breaks, can help your senior loved one enjoy the sunlight safely as they garden.

2. Get rid of fall hazards

From roots sticking out of the ground to branches scattered around the lawn, there can be many fall hazards in your senior loved one’s garden. Addressing these can help make sure the senior in your life can safely enjoy gardening at home. Our professional caregivers can help your senior loved one move in and around their home, and also increase their safety at home by addressing fall hazards.

3. Protect their hands

Thinning skin can make older people more susceptible to bruises, bumps, and sunburn. Adequate sun protection, and addressing fall hazards can make the garden a safer place. You can protect your senior loved one’s hands and arms in particular from thorns, branches, and more with a pair of durable gardening gloves.

4. Work on ease of access

Many plants are easily adaptable to raised beds or container gardening. With a raised garden bed, for example, your senior loved one can garden without kneeling or bending as the plants they’re tending to will be right at their level. Vertical planting could also make garden beds more accessible to your senior loved one.

5. Provide helpful tools

There are a number of tools that can help make gardening more comfortable for your senior loved one. If your senior loved one is going to be kneeling while gardening, protective knee pads can help cushion their joints from the ground while also keeping their knees dry and clean. Generally, they might benefit from more lightweight gardening tools as these tend to be easier to handle. If it’s possible, you can also provide opportunities to rest as they move around their garden by having a portable seat on standby.

Limited mobility may make it difficult for some of our senior loved ones to get outdoors to the garden. Seniors who don’t have access to an outdoor garden don’t have to miss out on the joys of gardening. There are a number of indoor gardening ideas that can help seniors reap the benefits of gardening without going outside, like creating a terrarium and painting terracotta pots.

As we grow older, it’s natural to need extra support with activities in and around the house that we once found easy. Foothills Home Services is available to offer help in all areas of your senior loved one’s life. With our home care assistance services in Calgary, our professional caregivers can provide support with a range of activities, from cooking and cleaning to hobbies like gardening. If your senior loved one could use a helping hand as they participate in a hobby they love, connect with us today.