TIME: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Peggy Chi, a landscape architect and postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto is leading a transdisciplinary knowledge mobilization initiative relating to influences of built, naturalized, and psychosocial environments on both worker and resident outcomes in long-term care. Members are invited to the 2023/2024 Health Services Systems and Policy Seminar Series, entitled "Advances in Aging Environments Research & Practice." Architects can benefit from these seminars to update their knowledge in long-term care as they continue to plan for redevelopments and new constructions of long-term care homes.
These seminars will be held online via Zoom. Zoom links will be sent upon registration on EventBrite. This is an open seminar where everyone within the broad University of Toronto community, and within the networks of University of Toronto community members, are welcome to attend. Registration is required to receive zoom links.
2023-2024 Theme:
Advances in Aging Environments Research & Practice: What We Know & Don’t Know About the Influences of Psychosocial & Physical Work Environments on Workers and Their Work
Session Abstract:
There are many pain points for people with dementia, their families and the professionals supporting them with direct care. Many people love the great outdoors and enjoy the healing benefits of being in nature. With minimal disease modifying medical treatments for dementia, there is a huge lack of respite options for caregivers and almost no outdoor or rural programs for people with dementia. What is a nature lover diagnosed with dementia to do? With origins in the Netherlands, Care Farms are popular all over Europe. This session will introduce Green Care Farms, Canada’s first-ever farm for dementia care. This model is a social enterprise that helps people with dementia be active outdoors and feel accomplished doing meaningful tasks while caregivers get a much needed break! We are grateful for many willing and eager staff and volunteer members. This presentation will discuss the experiences of multiple people involved in Green Care Farms: people with dementia, caregivers, staff, volunteers and community partnerships. With emphasis on our half-acre Sensory Garden, we will highlight how our built and natural environments promote psychosocial and physical wellbeing. Being outside, immersed in nature, is good for all of us and people with dementia deserve that too!
Speaker:
Rebekah Churchyard, MSW | CEO, Founder of Green Care Farms Inc.