Monday 10 April 2017

Afraid to Garden with Arthritis? Follow these “Handy” Tips!

Arthritis is a common chronic disease that affects 12.5% of adult Americans. It even affects children, and can have a sudden onset, or a gradual one. Arthritis is a stiffening of the joints, coupled with pain, and sometimes doesn’t allow for the completion of various projects due to the symptoms involved.

Gardening is one of the most popular pastimes for seniors, and carries with it numerous health benefits. These benefits include being outside, physical agility from the movements involved, eating nutritious, healthy foods that result from the garden, possible social benefits, and an overall sense of wellness and mood enhancement.

The problem is, many seniors suffer from arthritis and would still like to be able to work in their garden. So, how can this be accomplished?
  1. Keep in your mind that there’s a limit to how much you can use your hands. As a senior with arthritis, it’s hard to accept that there is only so much you can do with your hands now, but it’s true. If you spend an hour in the garden, you’ll have to swap that for an hour of doing something else with your hands (such as putting together a puzzle or other task that requires manual dexterity).

  2. Know your hand limitations. Do your hands become stiff and painful after an hour’s worth of working with them? Two? Know where the cutoff point is so you can delegate how you’d like to use your hands on any given day.

  3. Delegate. If you have friends, family or neighbors that can help with your various tasks, delegate some to them to cut down on the amount of time you are using your hands.

  4. Hire a helping hand. There are always teens around in the neighborhood looking to make a little extra cash, or look for ads in local penny savers.

  5. Soak your hands in warm water for five minutes before starting to work on your garden. Make sure to wear thin rubber gloves. Warm hands work much more smoothly than cold ones do.

  6. Make sure garden tools are sharp. You’ll spend too much extra time trying to use a dull garden tool and waste your valuable hand time. Keep them sharp and efficient.
Do you live in the Raleigh area? Are you interested in learning about home health care in Raleigh NC or dementia care in Raleigh? Contact the Always Best Care Raleigh location today at 919-724-4297 to set up a free care consultation. They look forward to chatting with you!

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