Senior Living News

Benefits of Gardening for People With Dementia

Digging in the dirt and caring for plants can help in many ways. In addition to getting your loved one outside, other benefits of gardening include:

• A calming effect: People with dementia sometimes feel agitated or frustrated. Spending time in the garden often has a calming effect that can minimize those feelings.
• Memory and cognitive support: Gardening could spark old memories for some people with dementia. It also engages the brain and encourages problem-solving to stimulate cognitive processes.
• Stress reduction: Spending time in the garden helps reduce stress levels.
• Healthy sleep: Time outdoors in the sun supports natural circadian rhythms to improve sleep. Regular physical activity from gardening also helps with sleep. Dementia often disrupts normal day and night cycles, potentially causing sleep difficulties at night, so gardening could help combat that issue.
• A sense of accomplishment: Caring for plants gives people with dementia a way to be successful and feel a sense of accomplishment. With many different gardening tasks available, people with varying ranges of cognitive functioning can participate.
• Socialization: Gardening with others provides social opportunities that also encourage communication.
• Physical activity: Tending to a garden gets you moving, which can improve behavior and mood. Using gardening tools also improves fine motor skills.

What to Include in a Dementia-Friendly Garden

While any type of garden can provide benefits to people with dementia, certain design features make the nature space more appealing and useful. When choosing plants, keep the following ideas in mind:

• Plant for all seasons to keep the garden active from spring to fall.
• Avoid toxic plants.
• Include different colors and textures when choosing plants.
• Pick varieties that attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife.
• Include plants that might spark memories of previous gardening experiences.

Other factors to consider when planning a garden for someone with dementia include:

• Accessibility: Ensure the garden is accessible via flat, smooth pathways. Raised planting beds also improve accessibility for older adults with mobility limitations.
• Avoiding dead ends: A garden with a looping or figure eight design allows people with dementia to move continuously throughout the space without hitting dead ends.
• Water features: Incorporating running water with a fountain or similar water feature adds to the sensory experience in the garden.
• Seating: Benches or chairs offer a spot for your loved one to rest and admire the plants.
• Signs: Installing signs for the different plants serves as a reminder of what's in the garden.

Getting Started With Gardening

Your backyard is an ideal spot to start gardening with a loved one who has dementia. You can plant the garden in the ground or create a container garden if space is limited. Indoor options, such as windowsill herb gardens, also work. The following tips can help you get started and make the activity more beneficial:

• Get them involved in the planning: The amount of input your loved one has on the garden depends largely on their dementia stage.
• Limit access to dangerous tools: Gardening involves potentially dangerous tools, such as shovels and pruning tools. Pesticides and herbicides are also potentially dangerous. Limit access to those tools and only allow your loved one to use them if they can do so safely.
• Offer gentle reminders: Even if your loved one spent lots of time gardening earlier in life, they might not remember all the processes. Guide them gently with reminders when necessary to help them garden successfully.
• Protect your loved one: Use sunscreen and sun hats to minimize exposure to UV rays. Gloves also provide protection from debris and reduce the chance of blisters. Sturdy shoes help your loved one keep their footing and protect their feet if they drop a gardening tool.
• Time it right: Gardening in the morning allows your loved one to stay cooler. Consider what time of day they're most focused to help them stay engaged with the gardening activities.

Gardening Activities for Dementia

Dementia-friendly gardening activities span a wide range of skill levels to ensure everyone can participate. Some examples of how to spend time gardening include:

• Shopping for plants together
• Planting seeds or seedlings
• Watering, weeding and pruning the garden
• Making garden decorations, such as signs
• Touching the various plants for a sensory experience
• Smelling flowers and herbs to stimulate the sense of smell
• Sitting on a bench to listen to the garden sounds
• Having a picnic in the garden
• Harvesting what you grow
• Eating fruits and vegetables grown in the garden
• Picking flowers to make a bouquet

Choose activities that are appropriate based on the person's physical and mental abilities. Providing supervision and support helps keep your loved one safe.

The memory care community at Bethesda Gardens in Loveland includes several gardening areas where your loved one can get involved in this hobby. They also receive round-the-clock support and can participate in cognitively stimulating activities to help slow the progression of dementia.

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