Flowers Make Seniors Smile!

As America's population ages they faces the challenges of growing older, including depression, memory loss and social withdrawal. As a concerned loved one, we are continually exploring new means to ease daily-life anxieties. Recently, researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, released the results of a six-month behavioral study on the health effects of flowers on senior citizens. The study demonstrates that flowers ease depression, inspire social networking and refresh memory as we age.


"The results are significant because as our nation grows older and life becomes more stressful, we look for easy and natural ways to enhance our lives - and the lives of our aging parents," said Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones, professor of psychology and director of the Human Development Lab at Rutgers. "Now, one simple answer is right under our noses."

More than 100 seniors participated in the Rutgers research study, in which some received flowers and others did not. The results shed new light on how nature's support systems help seniors cope with the challenges of aging. The results are as follows:

• Flowers Decrease Depression. Study participants showed a significant increase in happiness and positive moods when flowers were present.
  
• Flowers Refresh Recent Memory. Seniors performed higher on everyday memory tasks and experienced enriched personal memories in the presence of flowers.


• Flowers Encourage Companionship. Seniors who received flowers re-engaged with members of their communities and enlarged their social contacts to include more neighbors, religious support and even medical personnel.

"Instinct tells us that flowers lift our spirits, but, their effects on seniors are especially profound, if not surprising," said Haviland-Jones.

"Happier people live longer, healthier lives and are more open to change," said Haviland-Jones. "Our research shows that a small dose of nature, like flowers, can do a world of wonder for our well-being as we age."

Would you like to arrange to send flowers to your elderly loved one? We can help you. We can even set up monthly deliverys so that your elderly loved one will have something fresh to enjoy every month. And keep in mind that we can work with any budget. Visit us at http://www.boyntonflorist.com/ and save $10 off on-line orders, or call us at (561)736-8378.