Why We Foster a Community Garden at McGregor
How Our Planting Partners Make a Difference
One of the most common things we hear from our residents after they move to McGregor is that they miss having a garden. Fortunately for our residents, we have a beautiful and expansive courtyard that is the perfect backdrop for plants and flowers. On June 7, 2023, our Planting Partners event will bring together businesses and organizations who support community engagement with our residents to plant 20-inch pots of annual flowers all around our courtyard.
The event is popular and fun for our residents. It gets them outdoors, improves their endurance, and reduces their stress—and that’s no surprise. An article published in the National Library of Medicine looked at the positive aging benefits of home and community gardening activities:
Gardening requires regular and continuous care; therefore, for older adults actively engaged with their home gardens, gardening provides opportunities for increased physical activity, which can prevent osteoporosis, reduce the risk of some cancers, Type 2 diabetes, depression, and heart disease.
Our residents not only help with planting, but they can help care for them through the summer or simply sit nearby and enjoy their beauty.
If you have an older loved one or aging parent in your life, consider introducing—or reintroducing—them to gardening for their health and well-being. These are just some of the benefits of gardening:
- It is an enjoyable type of exercise.
- It increases physical activity levels—and promotes better mobility and flexibility.
- It encourages the use of fine motor skills.
- It improves endurance and strength.
- It reduces stress levels and helps you relax.
- It is a social activity and can improve your wellbeing.
While every resident’s physical and mental abilities should be considered, they should not hinder each individual’s opportunity to work in the garden. We find that beautifying the courtyard for the summer gives everyone—residents and our employees alike—a great mental energy boost.
If you have any questions about the aging services that we provide for seniors in the Cleveland area, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.