Create a Floral Arrangement

Experiencing nature, like a plant or a flower arrangement, in our environments can increase our well-being and be uplifting to our spirits. When doing activities with loved ones who have dementia or other conditions, finding ways to their engage them or provide a sense of accomplishment may be challenging. It could be helpful to think about how they may experience the world with their different senses. Flower arranging may be an activity to try as it involves vision, smell and touch.
Now is a great time to use what you already have in your yard (or you may have a friend or neighbor who would be happy to let you pick some of their flowers for this project). You don't have to use only flowers, but an arrangement could incorporate herbs or small tree cuttings. I happen to have day lilies and roses in bloom at my house, and they have made some great arrangements.

You can certainly use a vase to make a bouquet, but don't feel you have to limit yourself to any particular type of container. I find that glass jars (like the ones that pickles or salsa come in) make some of the best bases as they have a wider top that allows more flexibility for the arranger. Besides being free, using a jar allows you to make a grid out of a material (like tape or floral wire) to cover its top. This allows easy positioning of stems and helps hold the bouquet's shape. In addition, you can use fewer flowers to make an arrangement that seems full and repositioning stems is simple. Doing this step may help create a successful experience for the person who is doing the arranging. As you can see from the picture below, I made a grid from floral wire, secured it around the jar top with a rubber band and then trimmed the end pieces of wire. After this photo, I simply covered the rubber band with a piece of ribbon.

Flower arranging can be an easy, natural and affordable way to enhance the life of your loved one. Maybe making a fresh centerpiece for tonight's dinner would be a fun activitiy that creates a beautiful result and a moment of joy.