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Status of Green care in Sweden

Lena Lidfors & Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg

Department of Animal Environment and Health, SLU, Skara

Introduction

◦ Grön omsorg = Green care in Swedish

◦ Under development ◦ Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF)

◦ No Swedish record of number of farms

◦ Communes decide themselves

◦ Regions may be involved

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How interested are municipalities in Green care?

Random telephone interviews

202 persons

104 Swedish municipalities

Centre of Market Analysis (CMA, 2009)

Development of need for care in Swedish municipalities

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Decreased abilities

Criminality/drug abuse

Children & youngsters

Elderly

Increased Same Decreased (CMA, 2009)

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Have you heard about Green care before?

0 50 100 150

Decreased abilities

Criminality/drug

abuse

Children & youngsters

Elderly

Yes

No

(CMA, 2009)

How interested are you in hiring private entrepreneurs?

52

47

46

15

30

31

28

25

17

22

26

60

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Decreased abilities

Criminality/drug abuse

Children & youngsters

Elderly

Interesting Neutral Not interesting

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Which activities would Green care be most interesting for?

0 100 200

Decreased …

Children & …

Family homes

Interesting

Neutral

Not interesting

0 50 100 150

Decreased …

Children & …

Daily activities

Interesting Neutral

Not interesting

0 50 100 150

Decreased …

Children & …

Short time living

Interesting Neutral

Not interesting

0 50 100 150

Decreased …

Children & …

Day activity

Interesting

Neutral

Not interesting

Conclusions CMA (2009)

Those who heard about Green care before more positive

Municipalities using private entrepreneurs more positive

Municipalities with customer- or free choice systems more positive

Large municipalities (>20 000 inhabitants) more positive

Regional differences

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Law of Free Choice

”Lagen om Valfrihetssystem” (LOV, Socialstyrelsen, 2009)

Make it easier for those in need of rehabilitation or care to choose where to get the care

Make it easier for small enterprises & organisations to provide care

(Whitelock, 2009)

Inventory of Green care

4 selected municipalities

3 regions with 7 municipalities

Aim: Which customers are willing to buy Green care?

(Whitelock, 2009)

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Results of inventory

Municipalities were positive to Green care

Prefer companies in the Green sector to present a ready concept, which politicians and official officers can deciede on and develop further

(Whitelock, 2009)

Results of inventory

Handicap organisations: ◦ Very interested in Green care

◦ Want to take part in discussions with municipalities

◦ Offer their competence to enterprisers

Regions only pay for medical rehabilitation, physiotherapy & psychiatric therapy

Strong demand on evidence based scientific studies to support the effect of different care

(Whitelock, 2009)

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Research on effects of nature on humans

Gardens & urban green areas important in care institutions for elderly, disabled & diseased (Ottosson & Grahn, 1998)

Acces to natural environments associated with positive assessment of neighboorhood satisfaction & time spent of physical activities (Björk et al., 2008)

Gardens for rehabilitation

Patrik Grahn at SLU, Alnarp created a garden for rehabilation of persons with stress related syndroms

Several PhD & MSc thesises done to demonstrate the positive effects of the Green care offered at Alnarp

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Self-Evaluation Report, Care Sciences at SLU Faculty of Landscape Planning, Horticulture

and Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp (Patrik Grahn, Erik Skärbäck)

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Skara & Uppsala (Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg & Åke Hedhammar)

Faculty of Forest Sciences, Umeå & Alnarp (Ann Dolling, Ola Eriksson Ljusk, Göran Ericsson, Leif Mattsson)

Four main research areas within Care Sciences at SLU

1. Beneficial health effects of animals and natural environments

1. Mental restoration

2. Stimulation of the senses, sensory-integration and release of hormones

3. Physical activity of at least moderate intensity is beneficial for physical and mental health

4. Stimulation from recreational activities

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Four main research areas within Care Sciences at SLU

2. Health impacts of contacts with animals and nature in the context of everyday life- planning issues

3. Nature based intervention studies

4. Application in land use planning, green space management and rural development

(From Alnarp Rehabilitation Garden)

Ongoing research

Wellbeing and health promoting effects of interaction with dogs in elderly care

The effect of massage-like stroking on stress respons in dogs

PhD Anne Nilsson Main supervisor: Kerstin

Uvnäs-Moberg Co-supervisors: Lena Lidfors,

Linda Handlin & Maria Petersson

(From Manimalis report, 2009)

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Student work

How do educated therapy dogs (Canis familiaris) get affected by their work in human care? (Elin Ehrén)

Human-animal interaction in Swedish & Dutch dairy farming (Maria Saras- Johansson)

Supervisor: Lena Lidfors (Photo Elin Ehrén)

What is happening right now?

Jämtland want to take the lead in Green care

Now Jämtland wants to become a key player in Green care the Middle University gives money to 2-years research position(15 May 2012)

Facebook- Grön

Omsorg

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Farms offering Green care

Högby farm (Motala) had Green care for some years (see film on Youtube)

Bustorps farm

Sälle farm Högby farm (photo Per-Arne Andersson)

Conclusions

Developing area in Sweden

Many actors on different levels, need coordinated efforts

Research conducted on many humans and animals with randomized treatment & controls (From Manimalis report, 2009)

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Thank you for listening!

People enjoy watching animals in zoos (photo Lena Lidfors)