Spring marks the return of the sun and is also synonymous with the awakening of nature, especially flowers. These are slowly starting to flourish, whether you are in town or in the countryside, in an apartment or at home, whether you have a garden or a balcony. Flowers naturally embellish our spaces, adding color and cheerfulness. In addition to their symbolism, they have many virtues for seniors.
Study shows benefits of flowers
In 2005, a study on flowers and their virtues was carried out by Terry McGuire, professor of genetics and his wife, Jeannette Haviland-Jones, professor of psychology, at the State University of New Jersey. For 10 months, the two professors and their team analyzed the effects of flowers on study participants. To carry out their study, they gave participants three types of gifts: a fruit basket, a decorative candle or flowers. They then analyzed the facial expressions of the participants after receiving the gift offered.
The results showed that the flowers filled the participants with more joy than the other gifts. Three days later, the candidates who received flowers were still happier than those who received the other gifts. It turned out that, in the long run, people who had flowers in their homes were less depressed, anxious and agitated than those who did not. The results of the study allow us to realize that nature helps us improve our emotional health. The presence of flowers engenders joyful emotions, gives rise to a feeling of lasting happiness and positively affects our social behaviors. The couple tried to find explanations for their results and here are some of their inferences.
Why should you have flowers and plants in your home when you are a senior?
For older people, taking care of plants or flowers is a good way to improve their physical and mental health. They decrease feelings of depression and boost mood in a positive way. Taking care of plants or flowers helps to focus attention on something positive and so you can forget about your problems. The health of plants is often linked to the health of seniors. If the plant thrives in its environment with good light, a good temperature ... we can be sure that the elderly person lives in a healthy place. More information on the benefits of gardening for the elderly in this article.
The flowers will also stimulate the memory of the elderly. Indeed, it has been shown that seniors who regularly take care of a vegetable garden or a flowerbed are more successful in daily memory tasks and live, in parallel, richer personal memories and more numerous with their environment. .
For the elderly, alone at home or in nursing homes, flowers and plants encourage social contact. People who receive flowers connect more easily with others because it gives a welcoming and warm feeling. While sometimes it is difficult for an elderly person or ourselves to express their feelings towards an elderly person, flowers can help us deliver a message and an emotion.
For example, the daisy is a symbol of innocence, simple beauty and shared pleasure. Lily of the valley, traditionally offered on May 1, is a wish for happiness and prosperity. According to Feng Shui, flowers are synonymous with abundance, life and growth. Flowers are an essential part at different stages of life. Traditionally, flowers at funerals bring a sense of peace and beauty to a sad occasion. But they also bring a beautiful shine to a wedding!
Certain plants have the power to clean up our environment. Far from being purely decorative, they actively participate in cleaning up the ambient air. They will reduce the dust that floats and will remove some fine particles. They can compensate for the positive ions emitted by household appliances and appliances to which the elderly are sensitive. Plants absorb certain pollutants, which further contributes to improving the quality of the air in confined spaces. Just like trees on the street, plants therefore help to purify the air inside the house, and to absorb harmful gases from outside.
Others, on the contrary, will give off a pleasant and invigorating scent for the interior, like mint, fragrant geranium or even rosemary. These plants will thus help reduce blood pressure and muscle tightness.
So don't hesitate to give (yourself) flowers and plants! At OR VEGETAL, we know how to support you both in the offer and in the advice provided. We will put a lot of heart and attention to meet your expectations.
At the 02 rue des Cordeliers store in Pau (possibility of delivering) or on the site www.orvegetal.com, you can make your purchases in complete safety.
