Care farming

The term Green Care we group all those activities associated with physical, psychological, educational, social or conservation or production activities where the content nature, animals or plants are used. Well-known examples are the animal-assisted therapy ( with small animals, farm animals, or riding animals ), care farming and gardening therapy.

  • 4.2.1 Definitions of animal-assisted therapy

History and Origins of the term

Subsectors of Green Care are - though often under other names or no - known since antiquity. In ancient Greece, for example you paid homage to the so-called Asclepius cult. Asclepius was the god of healing and son of Apollo. In Epidaurus there was in a cave to the worship of the god of a shrine. This shrine was also a place of pilgrimage for the sick in search of healing that were treated there with an early form of animal-assisted therapy: Contents of treatment were a series of cleaning and offering of sacrifices. After that, the help-seekers were treated in the main part of the shrine in sleep. In this phase, the patients were then " visited by God ", mostly in the form of snakes or dogs, which then licked over the skin areas. It is believed that specific animals were trained for this purpose, to bring in the patient's belief that they embodied and Asclepius could cure diseases with their tongues.

Even gardening therapeutic approaches were already at the time of ancient Egypt in use. We know, for example, that doctors at the time mentally impaired Royaws prescribed stays in the royal gardens.

Through the centuries, these and other sections of Green Care were constantly used in practice. Scientific recognition find individual Greencare methods since about the 1980s. Such as the Anthrozoologie - - With the advent of interdisciplinary research and new research field was established and thus an increased scientific interest in Green Care This led to the formation of international networks, conferences and cooperation activities. Among other things, in this context, the Community of Practice - Farming for Health to call, and the Cost Action 866 COST stands for European Cooperation in Science and Technology and is a project funded by the EU Programme for the integration and coordination of nationally supported research activities at international level. In the course of this Action Cost 866, which was approved as part of the Food and Agriculture domain and had a duration of 28 August 2006 to August 31, 2010, the term was coined as such Green Care, how widely known it today and uses.

Definition of Green Care

Green Care can be translated, but this is not a clear concept statement literally as "green care ". It is a collective term for all those initiatives and activities from science and practice who want to cause with the help of nature, animals or plants, physical, psychological, educational, or social improvements for certain target groups. Content can be both animate nature elements - such as animals or plants - or even inanimate - such as stones or water. Likewise, individual natural elements are used, as well as collective in the form of a landscape, a garden, forest, farm or other localities. These positive, or promoting aspects to the health, welfare, and quality of life of people maintain or even increase. Depending on what is to be achieved with the respective Green Care initiative, may

  • Maintain physical health, increased or restored, such as regular exercise in the fresh air or rehabilitation programs for example Stroke, traffic accident, or obesity patients;
  • Receive mental health or increased, for example by cognitive training in individuals with dementia disease, depression, or low-stress activities for burn-out patients;
  • Social well-being can be improved, for instance by the (re) integration projects for ethnic or medical marginalized groups, or in the context of encouraging communication programs;
  • The educational status are encouraged, for example through a variety of teaching projects for children and young people on the topics of plants, animals, nature, the environment, or food production. This is also true for children with ADHD or a learning disability.

So Green Care initiatives speak depending on the purpose of a broad audience. Thus, measures in the field of managed care, rehabilitation, ( re) integration, therapeutic and social work, education, and health care are carried out. This applies to both people with a medical indication and for those without one. Also, age, social class, ethnicity, or gender do not matter. People with special needs are addressed as well as the elderly and dependent persons, drug and alcohol addicts, socially needy people, people with depression, anxiety, personality disorders or learning difficulties, burnout patients and those who find it difficult to integrate into society. There are also initiatives with kindergartens on farms, school and community gardens and other educational activities. And for people with migratorischem background, the socially excluded, inmates in prison, ex-offenders, victims of abuse, homeless and long-term unemployed is attempted ( re-) integration into society with Green Care activities.

General is therefore to say that every person who can benefit from the offer, a potential customer or a potential customer is. On the contrary, Green Care initiatives have something for everyone to offer just because of their wide range - of course under certain restrictions. Therefore one speaks in this context, often by " help to measure": Here the offer is tailored to the individual situation of the person concerned.

Limits of Green Care

Green Care encompasses a very broad area. However, there are clear limits: So not every contact with nature automatically Green Care The above- circumscribed goal of maintaining or increasing their physical, psychological, educational, or social aspects must be given. It is represented as a postman often many hours per week " in the open air " and is out and about. Nevertheless, it can not be said of Green Care in this case, since his motive of Professional Conduct, and its goal is the acquisition of money.

Also essential discussion of the possibilities of the effect of Green Care initiatives appear. It is clear that Green Care can not be seen as the ultimate solution to all problems. Because, although the possibilities are very broad, there are limitations. For example, a person who is highly allergic to grass pollen or no benefit to a garden therapeutic activity, or is a person with an allergy to animal hair more harm than good if he / she is being promoted animal therapeutic. Other limitations are noted as individual dislikes or fears of certain elements of nature, or the cultural or based on previous experience reluctance to join a particular Green Care initiative. There are also groups of people who want to be better cared for in a well-functioning closed facility because they have not developed a relationship with animals, plants or agriculture, and this also does not want to. Others are grown in agriculture or with animals and want this not to miss in their lives. The clients the personal desire must be respected and no one may be forced to do anything. Another limitation is derived from the existing very practical offering that may be very different regionally often.

An additional problem arises from the fact that Green -care initiatives are not yet regulated by law in practice. While there are a number of training and further education, which you can do, but in principle, any of these would like to offer one or the other Greencare activity. This opens the door to quackery and can throw a bad light on the whole sector. In addition, there is a lack partly also to the necessary uniform and also regulated quality and safety standards so it depends on the individuals or organizations, whether and to what extent such are complied with.

The whole thing begins with the question of nomenclature, particularly with the concept of therapy, and the therapist or the therapist. The term of the therapist or the therapist, for example, freely in Germany and basically enjoys no special protection. Except for some professions, such as physical therapists or psychotherapists.

Overview of known Green -care initiatives

Below is a list of known Green -care initiatives can be seen. A description in detail is then necessary only for those areas that have a certain distribution in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Green Care initiatives with plants and in the great outdoors

The origins date back to the Anglican room. There - as in the UK and the U.S. - there are a whole bunch of Green Care initiatives with plants that have in Germany, Austria and Switzerland ( still) not taken root. Are worth mentioning

  • The actual garden therapy ( horticultural therapy ),
  • The therapeutic nursery ( therapeutic horticulture )
  • The social and therapeutic horticulture ( social and therapeutic horticulture )
  • The plant -based health and medical care,
  • The Ökotherapie ( ecotherapy )
  • The Outdoor Education,
  • Mainly distributed in the U.S. forms of natural therapy ( nature therapy ), wilderness therapy ( wilderness therapy ) and adventure therapy ( adventure therapy ),
  • The wide range of healing gardens ( healing gardens ) and healing landscapes ( healing landscapes ) mainly diffused across the UK,
  • And comprises mainly represented in the UK form of "green exercise" which physical activity and sport in nature.

Definitions of Horticultural Therapy

The term originates from English and is derived from the local horticultural therapy. With a distinction in English between horticultural therapy, therapeutic horticulture, and social and therapeutic horticulture. In the former, therapy is offered with plants - mostly in the context of a garden. In therapeutic horticulture are the activities in the garden in the foreground, and there is no therapeutic structure. In the social and therapeutic horticulture also is the horticultural employment center, and besides also the social exchange is emphasized. Again, the therapeutic aspect is secondary. In the German-speaking area, this classification is not met, and everything is grouped under the collective term garden therapy.

Although there are different definition forms for individual representatives, as is meant by horticultural therapy but commonly a " guided professional, client- focused treatment modality that uses the gardening activities to achieve specific therapeutic goals or objectives in rehabilitation. The focus is on maximizing social, cognitive, physical and / or mental functions and / or in the general improvement of health and well-being. "

Another definition is in horticultural therapy to. " The use of plants as a therapeutic agent by a trained professional person in order to achieve certain clinically defined goals ", justifying the current definition of Horticultural Therapy in the German-speaking area from " garden therapy carried out by a therapeutically as well as botanical and horticultural qualified specialist. This plant are used as therapeutic agents to achieve at diagnosed client / patient verifiable therapeutic targets. The space in which garden therapy takes place is a garden in the rule.

Green Care initiatives with animals

Again, to find the roots in the Anglican space, mainly in the United States. Therefore, you will find the widest definitions nowadays as original translations of English texts. In the area of ​​Green Care working with animals can be distinguished:

  • The animal-assisted therapy with dogs, horses, llamas, dolphins,
  • The animal-assisted education, therapy and social work with farm animals,
  • And the animal-assisted education.

Definitions of animal assisted therapy

In English, a distinction is made between so-called animal-assisted activities (animal -assisted acitivities, abbreviated as AAA) and animal-assisted therapy (animal -assisted therapy, abbreviated AAT). Under the former refers to " ways of stimulating, educational, recreational, and / or therapeutic support to enhance the quality of life. Animal-assisted activities are available in different settings by specially trained professionals, support staff and / or volunteers who meet certain criteria in the company of animals. " This is therefore are informal activities in which people are brought into contact with animals. The same type can be carried out repeatedly with different people and is not tailored to a particular individual with a particular medical diagnostics.

Animal-assisted therapy (animal -assisted therapy ), however, after the English original definition of a " purposeful intervention in which an animal meets certain criteria which constitutes the essential part of the treatment process. Animal-assisted therapy is directed at and / or is performed by a specialist from the health care with special training within his / her field. Animal-assisted therapy is designed to improve the physical, social, emotional and / or cognitive functioning of a man ( with the latter refers to the thinking and intellectual skills ). Animal-assisted therapy is offered at different locations, either in the form of group or individual sessions. This treatment process is documented and evaluated. "In addition, in English is still the concept of animal-assisted interventions in circulation (animal -assisted interventions, abbreviated AAI). This serves as an umbrella term to summarize the other two animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy.

In the German-speaking area, such a division has been unable to establish. Here is extensive, only the term animal-assisted therapy ( abbreviated TGT) in use to describe both the place in practice the application of animal -assisted activities and the actual animal-assisted therapy. Conceptually, this hardly makes a distinction.

One of the most common definitions of animal-assisted therapy in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is: " ... all measures for which positive effects on the experiences and behavior of people are to be achieved through the strategic use of an animal. This applies to physical as well as for mental disorders. The therapy Couple man / bird is acting as a unit [ ... ].

Green -care initiatives in Agriculture

More and more recognition in the German-speaking area, see also Green -care initiatives that are taking place on farms.

In this area there is as yet the unschärfsten definitions, or the most overlapping concepts, some of which are used as synonyms, but on the other hand, also have differences. In principle, in the European region, the following terms are in use:

  • Green Care: In some countries, especially in the Netherlands but also in Belgium, and some other countries, the term " Green Care " is set as a synonym for those portions of Green Care, which have to do with agriculture.
  • Green Care in Agriculture ( Green Care in Agriculture): this is a variation of the above term group, with a limitation - namely, that the only issue Green Care initiatives which are in the agricultural context are located - is made.
  • Farming for Health: In 2004, the Community of Practice launched - Farming for Health their international exchange. As part of these activities, a book was published in 2006, which is also the title wore Farming for Health. After this term was used primarily for the description of Green Care initiatives in the agricultural context in each country. In the meantime, however, one of which is strayed again and the term is now rarely used.
  • Social Farming ( social farming ): Social farming is that term which in German-speaking - currently most applies - particularly in Germany and partly in Switzerland. This concept also comes originally from English ( social farming ) and has established itself as part of a Europe-wide project, which began in May 2006 and had a duration of 30 months. In this context, social farming is defined as follows: " Courts bind requiring therapy and socially disadvantaged people ( with mental, intellectual or physical disabilities, drug rehabilitation, long -term unemployed, immigrants, ex-offenders, young people, old people as active retirees ) for the purpose of rehabilitation in work processes agriculture, and school and kindergarten children Farms make the rhythms of farming experience. The classical economic areas of plant and animal production will be expanded to include educationally or therapeutically effective fields of work. " The Social farming is therefore defined as a form of multifunctional agriculture. Here, the agricultural production, but also aspects of horticulture, landscape management and nature conservation in terms of employment, treatment, and / or pedagogy used. This is possible for a variety of target groups with and without a medical indication.
  • Care farming: the case of care farming is in contrast to the social farming the focus on the health benefits of multifunctional -used agricultural and horticultural businesses. Respect, care farming is more narrowly defined as a social farming and excludes purely pedagogical initiatives (eg School on the farm ), and those which are solely for employment goes (eg sheltered employment for people with special needs) from. The " care" aspect must be included to be a care farming initiative: The persons participating must have a medical indication. A common definition of care farming is therefore: " to improve the use of commercial farms and environments to mental and physical health of a person by normal agricultural activities, [ ... ]. Through agriculture can improve health for a variety of groups of people, and / or social or educational advantages. These are people with medical or social needs. "

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, none of the terms has been able to pass completely through. There is also the area of ​​the farm pedagogy. This is aimed at groups of children and young people - about school classes - a once or more time on a farm to spend. Goal is the transfer of knowledge about rurales life and production, as well as practical information on the manufacture and processing of food. Similarly, content can be taught to sustainability and renewable energies.

Impact and benefits of Green -care initiatives

The impact and benefits of Green -care initiatives are not without controversy in science. The most accurate scientific research to animal-assisted therapy has been subjected to small and mounts so far. These positive effects on physical, psychological, and social aspects could be detected at different target groups in a variety of studies. And also in the field of work with plants, some scientific studies have already been carried out. Effect studies on the topic of Green Care in Agriculture, there are, to date, barely.

However, it must be added that many studies the common claim of scientific work, or only poorly match. The biggest problem here is the study design. Samples often contain only a few individuals, randomized controlled trial is rarely feasible, and comparable control groups are difficult to find. Topics that have received little attention in science today are, on the one hand the welfare of animals used in certain Greencare areas, and for other studies on the potential social and economic benefits of Green Care, which then or not only on individuals groups limit, but include whole societies or parts thereof.

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