Gardening and the Outdoors: Staying Active Safely With Support

There is something quietly restorative about being in a garden, or simply out in the fresh air, and that does not fade with age. For older people, gardening and time outdoors offer real benefits for body, mind and spirit, from gentle exercise and fresh air to a deep sense of purpose and joy.

The challenge is that, as mobility and strength change, getting outside and gardening safely can become harder. But the answer is rarely to give it up. It is to adapt, and, with the right support, a loved one can carry on enjoying the garden and the outdoors safely for many years. Here is how.

Why gardening and the outdoors do so much good

The benefits are genuinely wide-ranging:

• For the body, gardening offers gentle, natural exercise: bending, stretching, walking and light activity that help keep muscles and joints working. Add fresh air, a dose of sunlight, and it often leads to better sleep too.
• For the mind and mood, being among plants and nature is calming and uplifting. It reduces stress, lifts the spirits, and brings a real sense of achievement and purpose, watching something you have tended grow and flourish.
• For the mind's sharpness, gardening involves planning, memory and problem-solving, keeping the brain gently engaged.
• For a sense of self, for someone who has gardened all their life, continuing to do so keeps alive a cherished part of who they are.

And it is worth remembering that you do not have to be an active gardener to benefit. Simply being outdoors, sitting in the garden, feeling the sun, watching the birds, taking a gentle stroll, does a great deal of good all on its own.

Especially good for people with dementia

Gardening and nature can be particularly wonderful for people living with dementia. Time in a garden is calming and grounding, rich in gentle sensory pleasures, the scent of flowers, the feel of soil, birdsong, that can soothe and engage. Familiar gardening tasks can bring comfort, purpose and happy memories, which is why time outdoors is so often a bright spot in the day.

The challenge: doing it safely

In the interests of being practical, it is worth acknowledging the risks that can come with gardening and the outdoors in later life, so they can be managed rather than allowed to end the pleasure:

• Falls, from bending, kneeling, uneven ground, wet surfaces or reaching
• Overexertion or strain, from digging, lifting or doing too much
• Sun and heat, which older people are more vulnerable to, including sunburn, dehydration and heat exhaustion
• Cold, in cooler weather
• Trips and hazards, from tools, hoses or clutter

Reduced mobility, balance and strength can make some tasks harder or riskier. The aim is simply to keep enjoying the garden while sensibly managing these risks, adapting the activity rather than abandoning it.

How to garden and enjoy the outdoors safely

Happily, a few sensible adaptations make gardening safe and comfortable again:

• Adapt to ability. Focus on the tasks your loved one can still enjoy and manage, and let go of the ones that have become too much. Gentler jobs, done at a comfortable pace, are the goal.
• Raise the garden up. Raised beds, containers, pots and vertical planters bring the garden to a comfortable height, greatly reducing bending and kneeling.
• Use the right tools. Lightweight, long-handled and ergonomic tools are far kinder on ageing joints, and a kneeler or garden stool provides support and a place to rest.
• Prevent falls. Sturdy, non-slip footwear, clear and level paths, handrails where helpful, and avoiding ladders or anything that risks a fall all make a real difference.
• Pace it. Short sessions with plenty of rest, and a firm rule against overdoing it, keep gardening a pleasure rather than a strain.
• Mind the weather. In warm weather, a hat, sunscreen, shade and plenty of water are essential, and it is wise to avoid the midday heat. In cold weather, wrap up warmly. Our guide to keeping older adults safe in a heatwave has more.

And if active gardening becomes too much, simply being outdoors, sitting among the plants, a gentle walk, enjoying the fresh air, still brings so many of the benefits.

How a live-in carer helps

This is an area where a live-in carer makes a wonderful difference, turning "I can't manage the garden anymore" into "I can still enjoy my garden, with a little help."

A carer can take on the harder or riskier tasks, the lifting, the heavy digging, the reaching, while your loved one does the parts they love. They offer a steadying hand to reduce the risk of falls, keep a watchful eye on overexertion, sun and hydration, and share the whole activity as good company. Because they are there every day, a carer can encourage and enable regular time outdoors that someone on their own might not manage, gently getting your loved one out into the fresh air rather than staying shut inside.

And for someone who can no longer garden as they once did, a carer can still help them enjoy it: a comfortable chair among the flowers, a little easy container gardening to potter with, or a gentle stroll around the garden together. The joy of the garden need not be lost, only supported.

The joy of the garden, kept alive

Being in a garden and out in the fresh air is one of life's simple, lasting pleasures, and it should not have to end because someone needs a little more support. With sensible adaptations and the right help, your loved one can keep their hands in the soil, or simply sit back and enjoy the sunshine and birdsong, safely and happily.

If you would like to talk through how we help the people we care for stay active and enjoy life at home, we would be very glad to help.

Book a free care advice call, or give us a ring on 020 3970 9900.

This guide offers general information only. Any activity should be tailored to your loved one's own abilities and health, so if you have concerns, it is worth a word with their GP or a physiotherapist.