Enjoy Gardening Season! Stay Safe Outdoors
What is one way for you or your elderly loved one to eat fresh produce regularly without having to make a trip to the grocery store? You guessed it! Grow your own produce. Tomatoes seem to taste better when they come straight from your garden and onto your plate. Oregano, basil, and chives enhance the flavours of your pasta sauce or scrambled eggs, while chrysanthemum and lavender add a splash of colour to your home. Yes, gardening allows seniors to get outside, enjoy some sunshine, and reap the benefits of their hard work. Whether you are considering planting your first or fortieth, you can never have enough gardening tips for seniors, including having extra hands make the workload lighter. Maybe you love the thought of helping others with their gardening efforts. You can do that and more when you join other seniors in un-retiring yourself.
Outdoor Safety when Gardening
Gardening offers excellent aerobic exercise that helps your muscles, bones, and cognitive skills. As a result, many gardeners enjoy better sleep and a higher quality of life. Your mobility may be decreasing the older you get, but take these steps to embrace the outdoors safely so that you can reap a bountiful harvest this gardening season:
- Fall-Proof Your Garden. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What setup would work better for you and your abilities? For example, planter boxes, containers, and raised beds give you better options when your flexibility and mobility are limited.
- Will you need wide paths to ensure you can access your garden with mobility devices? Then, planning for that possibility will increase your outdoor pleasure.
- Make Your Garden Tools Visible. Of course, the last thing you want to do is lose your tools. So, wrap the handles of your hoe, spade, trowel, and hand shovel with bright coloured or fluorescent tape. When you finish the day’s gardening chores, put your tools away in the shed, garage or in an outdoor tote to avoid trips, slips and falls.
- Be Smart About the Time You Spend Outdoors. It’s vital to enjoy the sunshine, but you will want to play it safe. Here are a few tips:
- Avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day. You may want to go out first thing in the morning or later in the evening.
- Use the right tools and aids. That is, wear gloves, sunscreen, boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. In addition, protect your knees with knee pads while weeding and planting.
- Prevent bugs and tick bites with bug spray. Light coloured clothing helps keep mosquitoes and other bugs away.
Be Well, Live Well with Help from Home Instead
Live life on your own terms with help from the caring staff at Home Instead. Our dedicated team stands ready to assist you, including providing transportation to the garden center. In addition, we offer a variety of services customized for your specific needs, such as companionship, personal services, meal prep and home helper, and hospice support. We honour our seniors’ right to stay in their homes. Contact us today!
Call us at (613) 599-6906 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver each day to families in Ottawa and surrounding communities.
Find other safety tips for seniors.