In Australia, the welfare of the elderly is highly regarded. That is why the country offers many services to be able to support them. While some can still live at their respective homes, others are given much supervision at a residential aged care facility.
An aged care home is specially established for older Australians who can no longer live at their homes or those who require consistent help with health care or any usual tasks. As of 2019, there are 213,397 aged care facilities in Australia. Such facilities need to adhere to strict hygiene protocols to ensure every resident remains healthy. One of the spaces in this facility that need regular inspection is the landscape. If you manage an aged care facility, read on to get some aged care landscape maintenance ideas.
Make Your Aged Care Home’s Garden Safe and Beautiful
One essential part of an aged care home is the garden. There will always be something unexplainable with the sight of flowers or the earthy smell that gardens bring. It’s no wonder why people, both young and old, just simply love spending some time in this area. To make sure the elderly will savour every moment in your aged care facility’s garden, check out some of these aged care landscape maintenance tips:
Install Lighting
We all know how the vision of an individual gradually deteriorates through age. To help them see everything clearly, don’t forget to install lighting in your aged care facility’s commercial landscaping. Consider adding path lights to the walkways or perhaps UV lights in the communal seating areas. Not only will this serve as a big help as they walk from one space to another but also lighting makes the place more appealing.
Add Visual Cues
Aside from lights, another excellent grounds maintenance tip is to add visual cues to the area. Putting up signages will prevent them from encountering any accidents while in the garden. A simple thing you can do is to line steps or any tripping hazards with yellow tape so that the elderly can immediately see them.
Block Water Systems
Sure, man-made lakes or ponds add a dramatic effect to our garden. But an elderly left unattended might fall into it. Make sure to block these water systems in your landscaping maintenance plans. You may put high fences or rails that will complement the look of the pond or the lake. It should be at least waist high for precautionary measures.
Place More Seating Areas
Elderly people may like to walk but they will surely get tired at some point. Make sure every part of your landscape area will have enough seats to accommodate them. Seating areas can help them catch their breath or restore their energy.
Clean the Property Always
Cleanliness should be one of the priorities of an aged care home. While the focus is to make sure their rooms are tidy, the communal spaces should also not be neglected. In the landscape area, caretakers should always get rid of fallen leaves, branches, or debris. These items can put the lives of the elderly at risk, most especially suffering from poor vision. You may want to schedule a routine aged care landscape maintenance and clean-up with a landscaper so that your garden remains spotless at all times.
Conclusion
The goal of residential aged care facilities is to ensure the comfort and safety of the elderly. It’s not just about making sure they eat delicious food or drink medicine on time. But they should also be able to enjoy different activities like a normal person would, including having to walk peacefully in a well-kept garden.
Get more practical tips from our website today!
