Five Tips to Make Gardening Easier for Your Loved One

It’s the end of the summer and if your loved one is an avid vegetable gardener, this can mean it’s time to harvest all of those crops she’s been so diligently taking care of all summer. There’s nothing better than finally receiving the fruits – er vegetables – of your labor.

For some seniors, these final months of gardening can be physically taxing, even if it’s just a small plot in the backyard or a community garden. August can be one of the hottest months, and spending hours outside in the sun to gather up all the cucumbers can feel overwhelming and might be harmful to your elderly loved one.

Five Safety Tips for Harvesting

• Prepare for the Heat. The summer heat isn’t over yet and in many parts of the country, August and early September are extremely hot and packed with tons of humidity, making staying cool especially difficult. Your loved one should strive to do any end-of-summer gardening in the early morning hours or early evening hours to take advantage of the cooler temps. In many areas, early morning is better with less humidity and it also has less pests like mosquitos.
• Protect Against the Sun. The sun can still do damage to the skin at this time of year. Your elderly loved one should wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect her scalp, face, and neck from the sun. Sunscreen should also be applied to any exposed skin and then reapplied every couple of hours. Long sleeves and long pants can protect against the sun’s rays as well and may have the added benefit of protecting her skin from prickly stems and branches.
• Stay hydrated. High temps and high humidity can quickly dehydrate a person making your elderly loved one feel sick and possibly have heat stroke. She should plan on drinking a full glass of water before she even steps outside and then have a portable water bottle that will follow her around the garden as she harvests all of those delicious rewards of her hard work. The goal should be to empty that bottle at least once an hour and then refill it.
• Prevent Back Pain. Harvesting can mean that there is a lot of bending, plucking, and picking as your loved one collects all that is ready for consumption. That can result in a strained back and lots of pain afterward if not done correctly. It can help to have a lightweight portable chair to bring from section to section of the garden so she can sit while picking off each veggie that’s ready to go. A grabber tool might also help with pulling stalks closer in for inspection and possible harvesting. Finally, your loved one should only fill small baskets with her produce. A larger basket may get too heavy to carry.
• Get Help From a Home Care Assistance Provider. Harvest time might be the time to enlist a little help. A home care assistance provider can help your loved one get ready to harvest by applying sunscreen, getting water bottles filled, and digging the needed tools out of the garage. Your loved one might also like some side-by-side help from her home care assistance provider while gathering up the vegetables. Her home care assistance provider can also help with any cleanup afterward.

Once all of those delicious vegetables are harvested, your loved one can enjoy some healthy, delicious, and well-deserved fresh produce.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance in East Hampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at (631) 685-5001