Watching a cardinal flit from branch to branch, listening to a bee buzz from flower to flower, the wetness of early-morning dew on your toes, the smell of a campfire, a soft breeze on your skin—these are small wonders. There’s not much better for the soul—and a senior citizen’s health—than experiencing all of these and more. For all the benefits of nature and outdoors, there’s no better way for our residents than getting out into it. We work hard on making that happen.
It’s no secret that seniors who spend time outdoors reap many positive rewards. First, spending time outdoors allows them to better fend off depression. If seniors are able to get outside to exercise, that’s even better. But just being able to see beautiful outdoor scenery and take in the sounds of nature has proven to improve mood and allow for more positive emotions.
Being outside also boosts energy. Often, when seniors return from an outdoor pursuit, they are wearing big smiles and move more loosely as if their joints had been oiled. Additionally, some of our research shows that spending time outdoors even increases a person’s memory.
On a related issue, you may have heard about people who live in areas where it’s dark for weeks or months at a time, or people who have to stay inside for long stretches. Those people often suffer from depression and worsened health. One reason for this is that they aren’t getting enough Vitamin D, which is directly related to the length of time spent in the sun. According to our research, spending enough time outside allows a senior to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and heart attacks, and just 15 minutes of sunshine a day allows a person to receive enough Vitamin D. We want our residents to have more.
So how do we ensure enough outdoor time for our residents? In past blog posts, we’ve written about our events lawn, where we provide numerous activities during the warmer months—small concerts, competitive games, and other gatherings. We’ve mentioned our lake stocked with fish for fishing.
We also have a Pergola and underneath a gas fire pit at our main entrance where residents can gather together or with family to sit and chat. For our memory care residents, we have a courtyard, where they can sit outside and mingle. There’s a garden with plants and flowers to care for or just admire. Assisted living residents have individual patios attached to apartments. Each of the assisted living homes has its own porch with numerous rocking chairs—another place to relax and chat with friends. Finally, our grounds are extensive and there is plenty of room to take walks.
There’s just no excuse to not get outside, and we do all we can to encourage our residents to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
To contact the Homeplace of Henderson, email Jessica Beaven at jessica.beaven@homeplaceofhenderson.com, call at (270) 577-0534.