Spring is a time of renewal, bringing feelings of promise and excitement for people of all ages—and especially for seniors. As the winter doldrums fade, many older people find their energy levels increasing, and they often reengage in old activities or become open to trying new ones. All they need is the right opportunity.
When spring rolls around, it’s best to seize the moment and find your family member or friend an activity they really enjoy. With any luck, that initial burst of energy can carry them forward until their new interest becomes a regular habit that continues through the summer and beyond.
Fortunately, Charlotte has no shortage of springtime activities for older adults. Here are three of our favorites.
Go For a Walk
One of the simplest and most effective ways for older people to maintain their mental and physical health is to go for a walk outside. Just 10 minutes of walking each day has been shown to help seniors maintain their mobility and independence and break down barriers to other types of movement.
As it happens, spring is the perfect time of year for Charlotte seniors to start walking outside. Not only is the weather still cool and comfortable, there are plenty of beautiful places for a stroll with flowers soon to be in full bloom.
If your family member or friend needs a convenient walking trail they can hit every day, there’s no better spot than the Mecklenburg County Greenways. This network of easy, paved nature trails crisscross the county, with many of them passing through Charlotte, so there are few spots in town that are too far from a good place to walk.
One of the most beautiful places in Charlotte for a stroll is the UNC Botanical Gardens. Originally designed as a living classroom for botany students, the Gardens have expanded into a collection of thousands of species of flowers and trees, including an impressive variety of rhododendrons. One of its most unique exhibits is The Glen, a woodland garden devoted entirely to plants found in the local Appalachians. And the best part? Admission is completely free.
Plant Some Seeds
Taking care of a garden is a fantastic way for seniors to take care of themselves. Not only does it offer all the benefits of outdoor exercise, gardening also gives them a meaningful project that offers a sense of purpose and peace.
However, gardening can be intimidating to approach for a variety of reasons. That’s why one great way to help your family member or friend get moving is to help them overcome whatever barriers might be preventing them from picking up a spade and getting to work.
Gardening is a physically intense activity for people of any age, and doubly so for seniors. In particular, the repeated kneeling, bending and lifting movements that it involves are often too much for older people with fatigue or mobility issues. Fortunately, most of these barriers can be overcome with a little creativity, elbow grease and help from the community.
- Do they have trouble bending over? Try building or buying them raised beds or installing window boxes so they don’t have to bend down so low.
- Do they struggle with fatigue or coordination? Offer to handle strenuous or delicate tasks yourself. A professional caregiver can also offer assistance—for example, one of our caregivers helped a client pot her plants.
- Do they have a small lawn (or no lawn)? That’s never stopped a determined gardener before. Help them set up window boxes, potted plants or even hanging gardens in or around their house.
- Are they unsure where to start? No sweat—the Charlotte Garden Club and the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens both offer fantastic beginner-friendly gardening classes.
Even if they’re hesitant, your family member or friend is likely to give gardening a try if you make it approachable enough. With any luck, they’ll get hooked!
Watch the Birds
Birdwatchers are on to something, scientifically speaking. It turns out that being around birds—whether we’re interacting with them, seeing them or just hearing them—can significantly improve our mood. And as it happens, Charlotte is a great place to meet a few feathered friends.
It might sound obvious, but installing a birdfeeder in your family member or friend’s yard is the single best way to make sure they get to see and hear birds on a daily basis. Here are a few tips to get them started:
- Put it near a window…but not too near. Make sure the feeder is close enough to the window that your family member or friend can see the birds, but not so close that they bump into it.
- Get the right feeder and seed. The wrong feeder will attract more squirrels than birds. If you’re putting up a feeder in an area filled with squirrels, it’s worth it to get a squirrel-proof feeder or spicy birdseed.
- Consider a camera feeder. If your family member or friend has difficulty with mobility, consider getting them a BirdBuddy feeder. This feeder has a camera that automatically films its feathered visitors, then sends the video to their phone so they can watch from anywhere. (And it makes a great Mother’s Day gift.)
If your family member or friend wants to catch a look at more birds than they could spot at home, try bringing them to Wing Haven. This nonprofit garden is also a bird sanctuary, cultivating specific native flowers and trees to attract migratory fowl on their way up and down the Eastern seaboard.
If a senior in your life is a serious birdwatcher, don’t bother getting them binoculars—you’re unlikely to find a pair better than what they already have. Instead, try setting them up with All About Birds. This free app from the Cornell University Ornithology Lab isn’t just a birding checklist—it’s a portable encyclopedia containing almost anything your family member or friend might want to know about any bird around the world. It can even ID most bird species by recording their sounds or with a simple snapshot.
Get Help From a Caregiver
Spring brings on feelings of excitement and renewal, making many seniors feel more open to trying new things—which is why it’s a great opportunity for your family member or friend to get started with a professional caregiver. Starting with a caregiver now also gives older people time to get comfortable with them before summer, making family vacations and hot weather a lot easier to manage.
Whether your family member or friend needs a little help getting moving this spring or they’ll need assistance while you take a summer vacation, FirstLight Home Care of Charlotte is here to help. Our compassionate caregivers can help them get moving by offering help with transportation, dressing and other daily tasks so they don’t get worn out by logistics before making it out of the house.
Ready to learn more about what we can do for you and those you care about? Contact us today.
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