It’s spring, and that means boundless opportunities to benefit from the healing power of nature.
There are many ways to help an elder loved one connect with nature, whether outside or in the home. Can your care recipient enjoy a stroll (or wheelchair roll) on an accessible trail in a wilderness area or local park? Would he like a drive into the mountains to admire the wildflowers or sit by a stream? If she can’t leave the house, perhaps she would enjoy observing birds at a feeder or tending a houseplant. Even from bed, he can watch the clouds move across the sky, smell the lilac outside the window, or listen to honking geese overhead. You can also bring nature to your loved one by sharing leaves, feathers and other found objects, by watching a nature video, or by listening to recordings of soothing sounds of the natural world. Any of these can stimulate the senses and lift the heart especially for someone who’s dealing with chronic illness or impairment.
If you generously give to a loved one in your care, give yourself the gift of time in nature, in any way you choose. Plant a garden, if you can, or at least indulge in a bouquet of fresh flowers. Take a walk in a natural area and shift your awareness to the rich life around you. Even when you’re most involved with your caregiving duties and worries, stop for a moment and give nature your full attention. Listen to the birds outside your window, feel the breeze on your face, or smell the rain. Lose yourself and your worries in the moment.
The healing power of nature can help you feel that all is right with the world. In “The Peace of Wild Things,” a poem about turning to nature during times of despair, Wendell Berry wrote, “For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
Emily Cooper is the Information and Assistance Specialist for Caregiver Programs with Boulder County Area Agency on Aging. For information on BCAAA caregiver services, call 303-678-6116 or Email BCAAA.