Activities for older adults that include time outside provide benefits for the body and mind.
Is there anything greater after the long, cold winter than finally being able to open up the windows and let the clean, warm, springtime breezes blow through the house? Something in the sights, smells, and sounds of nature provides us a strong pick-me-up, which is why it is essential for older adults to take pleasure in the outside to the greatest extent feasible.
Of particular benefit to older adults are surroundings that are classified as green and “blue” (those that consist of still or running water). Per Jessica Finlay, a PhD candidate in geography and gerontology at the University of Minnesota and lead researcher in a current study of 65 – 86-year-olds, “We discovered how a relatively mundane experience, such as hearing the sound of water or a bee buzzing among flowers, can have a tremendous impact on overall health. Accessibility to everyday green and blue spaces encourages seniors to simply get out the door. This in turn motivates them to be active physically, spiritually, and socially, which can offset illness, disability, and isolation.”
Outdoor activities for older adults, like the examples listed below, will help your senior loved ones take advantage of discovering and engaging in the natural world around them:
- Invite the senior to excursions at neighborhood parks, especially those that encompass a body of water, even if it is something as common as a small koi pond or water fountain.
- Help the senior loved one create and maintain a small container garden of whatever is interesting – a favorite kind of flower, a variety of easy-to-grow vegetables, or possibly even a small bonsai tree.
- For anyone with dementia, provide occasions for sensory stimulation using natural items including sand, potting soil, grass, leaves, water, etc. Simply prepare pots of various materials on a picnic table outside and allow the senior to investigate.
- Visit a playground to allow for the additional joy of hearing children’s laughter coupled with the songs of birds and rustling leaves.
- Put together a designated area on the front porch or in a shaded part of the yard that includes comfy seating, and then make it an everyday routine, when weather allows, to sit and have conversations, read books, and savor some seasonal fresh fruit or a picnic lunch with each other.
Contact Live Free Home Health Care, the professionals in in home care in Franklin, for more senior-friendly strategies for taking pleasure in nature, and for a companion to supply transportation and accompaniment to fun outdoor activities and gatherings. Our individualized care services make certain that seniors maintain the highest possible quality of life all of the time, relieving loneliness and isolation and offering the confidence needed to stay active and engaged.
Whether the need is for only a couple of hours weekly, around-the-clock care, or something in between, contact us now at 603-217-0149 to learn about our in-home care services in Franklin and the surrounding areas and to request a complimentary in-home assessment. Take the first step towards enhancing health and wellbeing for a senior loved one today!