Allied Florists of Houston

What can you give an older person who seems to have everything they need? Flowers are the perfect gift. Flowers can offer a pick-me-up when they are not feeling well and can help them celebrate reaching another birthday. They are also the perfect way to tell someone you are thinking of them or miss them.

Here are some tips when selecting a floral gift for a senior citizen:

Plants last longer than flowers, but they require more long-term care. Is the recipient able to maintain the plant's health? If so, a blooming plant has the benefit of sending flowers that last longer and can continue to bloom.

If the senior has failing eyesight choose large flowers such as roses and carnations. Bright vibrant colors will also be easier for them to see and enjoy. Fragrant flowers such as roses, stargazer lilies, or stock also appeal to those who do not see as well as they used to. However, too much smell can bother some seniors.

Make caring for the floral arrangement easier by sending flowers in a vase, rather than a floral arrangement in a basket. The senior will be able to see if the flowers are low on water or if the water is discolored.

Seniors enjoy receiving flowers so much they often keep floral arrangements on display long after the flowers are gone. Choose long-lasting flowers such as carnations and chrysanthemums.

Consider sending a corsage. Not only do seniors love receiving flowers, they wearing them and showing them off. Ladies will wear a corsage for their birthday or to church for Mother's Day or Easter to impress their friends. Corsages can also be a conversation starter to help them interact with others and enjoy the spotlight for the day.

Rather than limiting floral deliveries to birthdays and Mother's Day, send flowers for no occasion at all. Reminding seniors that they are thought of and loved can make the difference between a good day and a bad day.

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The 2001 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Flowers and Seniors Study, sponsored by the Society of American Florists, examined senior citizens' levels of depression, social contact and memory with and without the presence of flowers. The study reveals the following:

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,"
Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Rutgers University research links flowers to happiness,
memory, and companionship for senior citizens.

Rutgers University behavioral research discovers links
between flowers and senior's improved memory.

To read more about the Society of American Florists'
study on flowers and senior citizens visit:

The Association of Professional Florists

When you look for a florist, look for the Allied Florist logo
- your assurance of Professional Quality and Service.

Allied Florists of Houston

The Association of Professional Florists

When you look for a florist, look for the Allied Florist logo - your assurance of Professional Quality and Service.

When you look for a florist, look for the Allied Florist logo
- your assurance of Professional Quality and Service.