There is a well proven bank of evidence that suggests that “nature is good for us”. Most of our parents insisted that we go out and “get some fresh air” as children instead of staying inside. Despite the association with nature being therapeutic for people of all ages, until now the term “green exercise” had not been linked with dementia individuals. However, within the past five years, practitioners and researchers have made progress in understanding how getting dementia individuals out in nature can benefit them.
The simple act of walking is important in enabling us to feel better, forget about illness, and feel active. Being out in nature is something that dementia individuals can truly enjoy within the moment, and some of their experiences may even carry on in their memories in the days following their outing.
What is green exercise and how can it help dementia individuals?
Green exercise is exercise that takes place in natural settings. According to one study, “Exposure to nature via green exercise can be conceived of as a readily available therapy with no obvious side effects.” 82.2% of surveyors agreed that “Human well-being can depend on contact with nature”. It makes sense that taking a walk out in nature, getting fresh air, and seeing the vivid colors of the outdoors can be therapeutic, but these experiences also open up a fair amount of sensory elements to dementia individuals. Nature can help us direct our attention to our surroundings and stimulate our senses senses; we can hear birds chirping, see and smell beautiful flowers, and feel the warmth of the sunlight or a breeze against our faces.
In the book Creating a Therapeutic Garden That Works for People Living with Alzheimer’s by J. Zeisel, Zeisel states “It is likely that the need for contact with natural environment and the feelings we have about nature and being outdoors are hardwired, partly because this is the source of our food. Sunshine, flowers, shade, moonlight, and trees are all so much a part of our basic nature that no one has been taught to respond appropriately to such stimuli”. People can harbor emotional memories that they link back to nature, and even if an individual suffers from dementia, being in nature can make the symptoms of dementia less prominent and less of a focus. Sometimes an individual who suffers from dementia will experience a “recovery of self” where the typical cognitive symptoms one might normally see or expect to see with memory loss will be made less obvious while out in nature.
How can Oxnard Family Circle help?
At Oxnard Family Circle Adult Day Health Care Center, we organize outings for our dementia participants that will help stimulate their minds and provide exercise at the same time. One of our memory care participants with advanced dementia was able to recall many aspects of the outing she went on to McGrath Family Farms. Several hours after the outing, she was able to explain to our CFO that she went on an outing and could identify vegetables that she saw growing, animals that she saw, and could distinguish that she was at a farm. Even though it has been a week since visiting the farm, she can still remember that she had gone on an outing and saw gardens and birds.
Oxnard Family Circle has a separate Memory Care unit that is designed specifically for Alzheimers and dementia individuals. We provide many stimulating activities to help enhance memory and cognition, as well as socialization opportunities that are unique and beneficial to the dementia community.
Be sure to engage in physical activity with your loved one, especially if he or she is suffering from dementia. A simple daily walk can help raise your loved one’s spirit and provide mental and physical exercise. Try visiting a petting zoo or local family farm, or walk to a nearby park. Being in nature with your loved one is a timeless experience no matter where you end up going.
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