Make seniors smile with flowers

While some families choose to care for their parents even until their final days, others are not able to offer them the level of care they require. Care facilities offer many benefits including on site medical professionals and there is also a sense of community. Unfortunately, no matter how many friends you make while living in such a facility, it is still quite easy to become depressed and lose your will to get up in the morning.

Whether you have a parent, in-law, grandparent, or another loved one living in such a facility, it’s important that you make a point of visiting on a regular basis. You might not be able to make it on the same day each week or every month, but the conscious effort needs to be made none the less. In addition, arriving empty-handed is also not the way to go. They might not live in their own home anymore and they might not need anything, but a fresh bunch of flowers can work wonders.

According to several studies around the globe, seniors really can benefit from regular fresh flower deliveries. Firstly, the appearance of the bouquet is a delight and will immediately lift their spirits. This is, in fact, true for everyone regardless of their age. Lifting their spirits also means that they are more willing to get out of bed, move around, and socialise. This is incredibly important for their physical and mental health. Staying in bed for most of every day never does anyone any good.

Another benefit is that of smell. Smell is known to be our strongest sense and in many cases, even the deepest memories can be retrieved by stimulating this sense. For example, have you ever smelled a beautiful flower and felt like there was a memory behind the smell but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it? You had to smell again and again but, eventually, after much thought you realised that it was a memory from many years ago. The smell of a flower can remind you of the garden of your childhood home, your mother’s perfume, or even bring back memories of school or holidays. Stimulating the long-term memory as well as short-term memory is a great exercise – especially as we get older.

Finally, if you are able to make the flower delivery in person, it is the most powerful gesture of all. Sure, you could have the florist make the delivery on your behalf but taking the time to visit your loved one will make all the difference. After you leave, the flowers will remain and your loved one can enjoy them while thinking about all the things you discussed during your visit.