Here are some ideal gardening tools for older people. With a few changes and the right tools, you can keep enjoying your time in the garden for years to come!

Make life easier with adaptive gardening tools for older people.
Here are some helpful tools and tips to reduce the impacts of bending and kneeling in the garden.

Kneel or sit on something soft. Large kneeling pads or knee pads provide a softer place for your knees to rest when kneeling. This can help minimise joint pain. A garden seat and kneeler can also allow you to sit and kneel comfortably in your garden.

Bring your garden up to you! Vertical wall gardens, pot-plant stands, and raised garden beds all help to reduce bending and kneeling. These tools allow you to keep your plants at a height you can reach while standing.
Reach further with mid-length and long-handled tools. You can also reduce the need to bend or kneel by using longer-handled tools. Mid-length gardening tools are useful for reaching into lower garden beds from a seated position or working in raised beds while standing. Long-handled gardening tools such as long-handled weeders are perfect for reaching the ground while standing. You could also use a long-handled grabber to pick fruit that are too high up to reach.

Do you find it difficult to push wheelbarrows or carry heavy pots through your garden? Consider some of these helpful tools to make moving things around easier:

You can help your hands by strengthening them with the exercises and using tools that reduce pain.
There are lots of different tools you can buy. If possible, try the tool before you buy it. This will help you feel how it fits in your hand, how heavy it is, and how easy it will be for you to use.
Here are some different types of tools to help your hands while gardening:

Use adaptive techniques to keep track of all your garden tools and tasks:
Gardening is great for healthy ageing. It's one of the most popular recreational activities in Australia. And there are good reasons for this. Gardening can have many physical and mental health benefits:
However, older gardeners may have health conditions such as arthritis which make gardening more difficult. Luckily, there are many tools and products to make gardening easier and safer.
For example, you could use a garden trolley or bucket to hold what you use most of the time. This means you’ll always have what you need close at hand to keep up with garden maintenance.
Safety and protective products are also important. E.g. gloves (including gloves with arm sleeves or long gauntlets), safety glasses, face masks, ear defenders, boot guards, and sunscreen.
You can also take care of yourself by doing a little bit of gardening more often, rather than a lot all at once:
Doing a little bit here and there can make gardening more manageable.
Here are some tips for using tools to efficiently:
Gardening is a great form of physical exercise, and with all exercise you need to think about how you’re going to get started. Here are some tips for avoiding pain and injury:
Gardening is all about change. If you plan to stay in your home, it’s worth making the changes to make enjoying your gardening easier.
Make a list of the jobs you need to do regularly, and the jobs you do less often. With some planning you can adapt your garden in stages. If you can, pay for professional help with a garden redesign for low maintenance, accessibility, and safety.
Mature gardens can sometimes be easier to maintain. You may only need to pay for help with jobs like lawn mowing, pruning vines, and hedges. Robotic lawnmowers are good for lawns that don’t have many obstacles. Some new brands can also apply fertiliser and do mulching.
Simple ways to adapt your garden:
If an outdoor garden is too difficult to maintain, consider keeping a more manageable 'indoor garden' instead. Houseplants have been shown to inspire creativity and foster a connection with nature. They give us relief in closed spaces by making the environment more pleasant. Research has shown that keeping indoor pot plants can be good for your health, too.
Here are some of the health benefits of houseplants:
An occupational therapist (OT) can help you:
Find an OT in your local area with the search tool on the Occupational Therapy Australia website.
Call 1800 951 971 for more ways to enjoying gardening. Get free information on community gardens, gardening clubs, open gardens, and horticultural shows. We can help you connect with gardening and other gardeners.
Stanborough, R.J. (2020, Sept 18). What are the benefits of indoor plants? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-home-guide/benefits-of-indoor-plants
Howarth, M., Brettle, A., Hardman, M., & Maden, M. (2020). What is the evidence for the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being: A scoping review and evidence-based logic model to guide healthcare strategy decision-making on the use of gardening approaches as a social prescription. BMJ Open, 10(7). https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e036923
LiveUp provides free information to help you make informed decisions about your health. This information is for general and educational purposes only, is not intended to provide a comprehensive guide, and does not replace medical advice. Everyone is different, so some of these tips may work better for you than others. You should use your own judgment and seek medical advice when applying this information to yourself, to determine if it is suitable in your circumstances. Your use of, or reliance on, this information is solely at your own risk. Independent Living Assessment Incorporated is not responsible or liable for any injury, loss, or damage caused as a result of your use of, or reliance on, this information.
You can print out the PDF and stick it to your fridge or file away the tips to revisit at a later time.

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