Caregiver Corner
Can you believe, we are closing in on 2 years of social distancing. If you are a family caregiver, social distancing with your loved one, you may have run out things to do at home. One of the challenges is finding activities that have meaning and keep you and your loved one engaged. People tend to be engaged in things that are a bit unpredictable, surprising, something that you come back to, just to see what’s happening. When we are engaged in activities with other people, they bring the unexpected to the table. When there are no new faces, everything can feel a little stale.
Indoor gardening can be a good activity to add to your life. Planting a seed brings you back to the garden frequently to look for signs of sprouts. Propagating new plants from existing plants brings you to the garden to see if the transplants took hold. Buying plants in the bud stage and watching them bloom is very satisfying. Studies show that contact with nature is relaxing and often inspiring. It can be a great way to relieve stress, but perhaps more importantly, it can be an enjoyable activity that you do with your loved one that has nothing to do with providing care and attention. It’s just something to do that you both look forward to and provides an opportunity to create a new, happy memory. We don’t want all of our memories of the COVID-19 era to be about masks and isolation. Create a new, happy memory in an indoor garden.
