Five reasons why caring for houseplants is great for wellbeing in care homes

Residents in all Country Court Care Homes love their gardens, but during a cold, wet January it feels like a long wait until they can get outside to do some gardening. However, the wintertime has not stopped residents enjoying the benefits of plants and flowers, in many care homes people have been enjoying the benefits of houseplants in their homes. As well as looking good houseplants support health in homes, offices, schools and of course care homes. Research has shown that plants may also influence indoor air quality and improve wellbeing.

Taking care of your houseplant

At Ferrars Hall Care Home in Huntingdon, Activity Coordinator Richmond Dayap introduced a project to bring a houseplant into the room of each resident. He spent time with each person showing them how to care for their plant and encouraging them to look after it. As part of their regular craft sessions, he also showed residents how to make macrame hanging baskets to keep their plants in. This has been a great way to maximise the number of plants each person can have in their room as they are not confined to windowsills, they can be hung from window recesses or ceilings too.

Residents at Ferrars Hall also enjoy their regular flower arranging club on the first Wednesday of every month, one of their favourite tasks is to make table decorations for their dining room.

5 reasons houseplants are great for wellbeing

According to the Royal Horticultural Society, indoor plants can have the following benefits:

• Improved mood
• Reduced stress levels
• Improved attention span
• Reduced blood pressure
• Reduced fatigue

Nurturing an interest in gardening

Residents at Link House Care Home in Raynes Park who enjoyed gardening and houseplants as a hobby before they moved into the care home have been encouraged to continue their interest. Front of House Manager, Johannes Teunissen has taken cuttings from his own plants and bought them in for residents to grow, sparking the initiative to start an indoor gardening club at the home.

Improving air quality

The idea has also taken root at Rose Lodge Care Home in Market Deeping where residents have been growing succulents to create mini-indoor gardens. Plants such as succulents, orchids and bromeliads have been shown to improve air quality at night. Unlike others, these plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen once it gets dark so are great for bedrooms.

Our favourite houseplants

If we’ve inspired you to add a houseplant to your home, here are our three favourites, that have the bonus of being easy to care for too:

1. Spider plant – very easy to care for and grow. They have the added bonus of shooting out little plantlet that can be snipped off and grown as new plants.
2. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) – Also known as a Money Plant, they can be kept in a small pot and don’t need much water. It supposedly brings good luck, wealth and prosperity.
3. Lavender – had a beautiful fragrance but needs plenty of water and sunlight. If they get too big to be inside, they can be transferred outdoors too.