Parent Care Sanity

Getting your Parents or seniors in your care outside can be so rewarding to them and to you. Gardening is one of those hobbies that almost anyone anywhere can do. It is so beneficial for them to be able to get outside. When they can get outside and work with their hands and make something grow. Sun shining down and boosting their vitamin D can do wonders for their happiness and health. Yes, you can take some pills and get your dose of Vitamin D but with my loved ones, we always enjoy spending time in the actual sun.

Age and skill levels do not prevent your loved ones from gardening but sometimes you just have to make a few minor changes to ensure that they can have a good time.

Even with mom being blind she loved planting things that she would be able to smell and when you would hand her a flower, the would hold it all day smelling it and it was the small things that would make her so happy.

Reasons Why?

Its wonderful exercise – Grandma had a garden well into her late 90’s. Great-grandma had two gardens and she worked them until she was 102 then she decided to finally give it up. Her yard was small and after she had filled hers she had a friend that lived close by that had a much bigger yard. She let my great-grandma plant a much bigger garden in her yard. She would walk down to the neighbors a few times a day to move the water. Gardening kept them young which was good because she was only a little over 5’ tall and one day when she went to change the water she ended up locking herself out of the house and she ended up having to climb through her bedroom window which was higher off the ground then she was. Gardening kept them limber and in great shape. Not everyone can be out gardening like this but it really did help my grandmas

Increases and Decreases Chemical Production in the Brain- Its been proven that working out in the sunshine and the dirt can really change the brain chemicals. Its a relaxing activity and has been proven to decrease Cortisol and improve mood. Working in the dirt has been shown to increase Seratonin which naturally is an anti-depressant. So pretty much working in the garden makes them happy and stressfree. I know that when I had mom playing in the dirt she would be laughing having a good time even if she couldn’t see what she was doing.

Good for the Brain- With being out and working with their hands it helps their brains stay young along with their bodies. Keeping the brain active can have a positive impact on their memories. My grandmas always had great memories I am not saying that it was from the gardening but I do think that it helped keep them young.

Not everyone can garden with an

In-ground garden

With mom trying to take her wheelchair out in the back yard would have been impossible. Steep stairs and uneven ground made the back yard not a safe place for her to be. She still needed to be able to get outside and the idea of giving herself something to take care of gave her a purpose and plan. Since the backyard wasn’t an option I made a small space on the deck that she could reach. We grew anything that had a strong fragrance. Herbs, certain flowers that would grow in pots, vegetables that she enjoyed eating which were not many. Some of these options were even great options for growing inside in the window that she could get to. We also had a fun day painting the pots that she was going to plant her herbs in.  It doesn’t have to be a big garden. Small spaces can be just as rewarding and not as much work for someone who is incapacitated. With Dad, we have made him an area with wine barrels. I will be making him raised beds in the next couple of years. We make sure that we add new soil every year and add lots of plant food. Dad spends time out there every day with his plants.

Make it safe

If they are working out in the garden if in a raised bed or in the ground make sure that you have a few things that make it safe for them. With mom, I made sure that she always was able to sit in her wheelchair on level ground to play in the dirt. With dad, I made sure that he has a walkway around his plants that is level.

To try and make it safe as possible for them

• Safe Walkways- leveling a walkway and either laying pavers or just having mulch down works well the most important thing is its level and easy for them to walk or roll on
• Right Tools- making sure they have light easy to use tools that are close by 
• Somewhere to rest- Dad has a chair in his garden and a rocking chair nearby so when he is tired he can rest. With grandma, she had a little bench. She even was able to take her walker that had a seat on it around the garden. 
• Sun Protection- Dad refuses to wear things such as sunscreen but I always have it available. I do make sure that there is an area in the shade for him to rest. With great-grandma dad used to laugh at the fact that she would wear this huge sun hat while she worked in the yard. Try to provide shade and sun protection
• Hydration- I like to make tang for dad to drink or have a Gatorade staying hydrated is so important for everyone but especially when they are outdoors and working hard.
• Cameras- this one is completely optional but this has been really reassuring to me. I have a camera system that alerts my phone if dad has gone outside. Then if I am not home or I am doing something else I can still keep track of him and know that he is still doing ok. Let’s just say my dad has gotten himself into some situations.

Gardening is great for anyone of any age

  So make sure that you get your hands dirty and enjoy the outdoors and don’t forget to take your loved ones out there too. It can improve their lives and its a fun activity that can be really rewarding in the end.