[ photo by Anna Shvets ]

Help your aging parent keep gardening.

My last blog post covered whether or not your aging parent would be safe continuing the outdoor activities he or she loved. If you were not able to read it, I want to encourage you to refer back to that one if you are still in the process of determining if your loved one should continue a particular warm weather outdoor activity. If your loved one is going to continue his or her previous activities such as gardening, lawn mowing or any of the other long list of outdoor maintenance activities, I would like to share some tools and tips that can make him or her safer and more comfortable.

(Related blog post: Is Gardening Safe?)

Say no to ladders!

I would be doing my readers wrong if I neglected to highlight this one important point that I consider a non-negotiable when it came to our aging loved ones. This point is: no ladders!

I will call this an absolute after the age of 65 years. I have mentioned several times that as we age, we lose strength, balance, and have worsening vision. All of these losses make us at a higher risk of fall, especially from a ladder. Falls from ladders often have a greater consequence than falling from standing height.

If your loved one has fallen without a known cause, fallen more than once, or has a known medical issue causing weakness, dizziness, imbalance, decreased vision or judgment problem, then ladders are a no go. Once your loved one is at 65 years of age or displaying some of the issues I listed, I would discuss ladder use with him or her on a regular basis. Offer to help with the tasks requiring the use of a ladder. If you can get the menial tasks requiring a ladder done before they actually need to be done, that can help to mitigate the use of the ladder.

I will dive into the specifics of ladder use in a later post. This might guide some of you who are on the fence as to whether your loved one (or you) should continue using ladders.

Ways to facilitate safe gardening.

There are many modified tools available for those who want to continue to do what they love outside. Even just simple modifications can keep one out in the garden for longer than may have been anticipated.

Adjust the height.

The first one I want to talk about is a raised garden bed. There are a variety of sizes available for purchase. You can buy kits online or at home stores or have someone build custom beds. There are beds that can allow your loved one to garden while standing or even sit while gardening. I think these are becoming more mainstream, but I do believe it is an option that might often be overlooked or might seem to be cost-prohibitive.

Stools and scooters.

If your loved one is still fairly capable of managing the garden he has kept for several years and is resistant to getting a raised bed, there are garden seats and kneelers that allow for more comfortable positions while working in the garden. I was able to find a combination garden kneeler and seat. The specific one I found is called the Ohuhu Gardening Stool. This even has handy storage bags on the sides to hold short garden tools. 

Another pretty cool seat is a rolling garden scooter. This device is a seat on four heavy duty wheels to allow your aging parent to roll through the rows of the garden to do work while remaining seated.

Special tools.

Beyond the sitting/kneeling stool option, garden tools with extendable handles help to prevent the need to bend over to complete tasks. One example of this is the Corona Extendable Handle Cultivator. There are a wide range of brands and tools with extendable handles. Another neat tool I found was the stand-up weed puller. This tool allows one to pull weeds, roots and all, without having to bend the back or stoop down to the ground.

For those that love to manage a vegetable garden or flower bed, I recommend using ergonomic gardening tools. These tools make it easy and comfortable to garden and help to take strain off of the muscles and joints. One brand in particular is Radius Garden. The hand tool collection by Radius Garden includes a trowel, scooper, transplanter, cultivator and hand weeder. I was able to find this entire set on Amazon for fifty dollars.

Another neat feature about this set is that it has lime green stripes at the top and base of the handles. This makes the tools a little easier to see for those who have visual deficits. When thinking about ergonomic tools, don’t forget the ergonomic pruners. A pruner with curved handles makes for an easier grip to allow for a stronger hand when making cuts.

Battery powered tools.

For those who still want to do bigger lawn maintenance tasks, it is worth investing in lightweight battery operated tools. Most of the major brands offer the options of battery operated tools. I have a few of these at my own house that I find to be pretty nice! My husband keeps a few extra batteries and chargers around so that there is always a charged battery ready to use to get the jobs done.

Additional tips.

Beyond the tools to keep gardening and lawn care easier, it is also important to know techniques and tips to keep your aging parent safe while he works out in the yard. The first thing is to encourage her to complete the work either early in the day or late in the evening to avoid the heat of the day and the additional sun exposure. I think it’s worthwhile to ask her to let you or someone else in the family know that she is going to be working outside and then have her let you know when she’s done. If she has a fall alert device and/or a phone, make sure she keeps it on her when she is going out to do her work. Also, do a walk-through of the yard, looking for possible trip hazards. Don’t forget to pay attention to the garden hose, which can be a big tripping hazard. Make sure it’s brightly colored and easy to roll up when not in use. 

(Related blog post: Medical Alert For Aging Parent)

This is just a small sampling of the many ways to keep your aging parent safe while he or she is doing outdoor work. If you have established that it is safe for your loved one to continue to do outdoor hobbies or chores, then do what you can to keep them working. Gardening and lawn care provides opportunities for increased physical activity which helps people both physically and mentally!

(Related blog post: Combat Aging Parent Deconditioning)

Feeling overwhelmed with the process?

Afraid you may not make the right decision at the right time? This stage of life for you and your aging parent often brings more questions than answers. Reading information from a trusted source like me can help guide you in the process. However, if you still feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am happy to help with a personalized plan for your unique situation.

© 2022 Jessica Kluetz, DO