Using nature for dementia
Nature is good for our health. It helps lower stress and high blood pressure and connects people, reducing loneliness and boredom. Being in nature can also give meaning by allowing you to care for something. Just 2 hours a week spent in nature provides health benefits. Yet older people are often indoors. Of those over 75, 54% feel lonely (2022). Dementia is the disease with the highest healthcare costs. There are about 300,000 people with dementia, which is six times more than in 1950.
Accessible nature activities for the elderly
IVN Natuureducatie, together with Stichting Gouden Dagen and partners from Spain, Slovenia and Italy, is committed to informing and supporting volunteers with information and low-threshold activities to go into nature with frail older people. We do this from project FLOWER. We develop new activities and exchange successful examples. What are good activities to do in the city? And what are tips and experiences of care workers and (volunteer) activity supervisors?
Into the garden!
At the end of April, IVN and Gouden Dagen organised a co-creation day at Herberg Welgelegen in Valkenburg. With an enthusiastic group of activity coordinators, they exchanged experiences and developed new activities. These creative activities were immediately tested that afternoon with the day care participants. Discovering fragrant herbs, seeing critters among the plants and taking nature photos stimulated not only the senses but also social connection with each other. Based on these experiences, the activities were further refined. Later this year, all activities and additional learning materials will be offered in all countries. Interesting for the care sector but certainly also for family, friends or volunteers who want to go outside with frail older people.
Tips for experiencing nature with older people
For inspiration, we offer these tips from our experienced volunteers:
- Bring a magnifying glass. Especially a pot magnifier (where you can put something in) makes it much easier and more interesting for older people to see nature. Think of an insect or critter you can put in it or a piece of moss. This way, you bring nature very close, also for people who are less mobile.
- Keep it personal: what you are enthusiastic about, you can communicate.
- Looking outside also has an effect. For older people who really don’t want to go outside, a good spot by the window also brings nature experience.
- Point things out. Point things out, name features, etc. Also react to what you see: watch what people do and respond to the environment.